Praise for Higher Ambition
“In our book, In Search for Excellence, Tom Peters and I wrote that great leaders and managers make meanings for people—not just money. This carefully researched and well-written book explains how 36 CEOs across three continents do just that. Leading with higher ambition is not just an option but a necessity for success in tomorrow’s corporate world.”
—Bob Waterman, coauthor, In Search of Excellence; author, The Renewal Factor, Adhocracy, and What America Does Right
“Businesses must earn from society the right to exist for the long term. The ideas of the CEOs profiled in this book are an invaluable guide to business leaders as they look to practice the right corporate leadership. These ideas will help a new generation of leaders become better CEOs.”
—Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO and cofounder, Infosys Technologies
“The authors provide the first true action guide to creating economic and social value in the global economy. This book moves way beyond the abstract descriptions of organizational attributes in much of today’s management literature to concrete discussions of the leadership behaviors necessary to create the world we are hoping to live in. A tour de force that should be carefully read by leaders of all kinds of organizations striving to meet the stakeholder challenges of a new order. Bravo!”
—Leonard A. Schlesinger, President, Babson College; former Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer, Limited Brands
“Higher Ambition stimulates a long-overdue dialogue about the connection between employees engaged in significant work they are proud to do and the performance of the companies they work for. If you want to lead an organization today and you don’t think this matters, I would bet on the success of your competitor.”
—Brad Anderson, former CEO and Vice Chairman, Best Buy
“The authors offer a landmark study of leaders and firms that are built on the premise of creating value—not simply extracting it. At a time when a new model for business is sorely needed, the authors probe the dominant paradigm of individualism and shareholder maximization that has dominated American business over the past thirty years. This critical and timely book offers a challenge to global business leaders and all thoughtful citizens who wish to understand the path forward for business.”
—Rakesh Khurana, Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development, Harvard Business School
“In a fast transforming world, leadership can be a source of purpose and inspiration or can become a source of inertia. In this wonderful book we discover the role leaders can play to steer their companies with purpose, compassion, and authenticity. Deep insights, fresh thinking, and creative actions make this a must read for every future-oriented leader.”
—Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice, London Business School; author, The Shift: Why the Future of Work Is Already Here
“Higher Ambition expertly details the stories of leaders who connect the dots between economic performance and social value. Building strategic purpose, organizational integrity, and stakeholder relationships are challenging tasks for leaders today. This book offers pragmatic lessons for success, drawn from leaders who have been there.”
—Dominic Barton, Global Managing Director, McKinsey & Company
“Why do companies with higher ambitions achieve better financial success than those with narrower goals? And given that they do succeed, why don’t more companies follow a more ambitious path? Higher Ambition provides the first comprehensive set of answers to those timeless and important questions. The authors show how higher ambition is vital to long-term success, and they demonstrate what sorts of leadership skills are needed to make it meaningful to the full range of stakeholders in the company. This book will provide inspiration and practical advice to any executive who wants their company to become a force for good in society.”
—Julian Birkinshaw, Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship, London Business School
“I think that it is a superb book—a real game-changer. The authors have gone well beyond existing theory in rounding out a superior leadership model.”
—Paul Lawrence, Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Organizational Behavior, Emeritus, Harvard Business School
“Higher Ambition addresses a critically important topic, made even more pressing by recent events. The authors provide a new framework for business. What they stress— as I have also discovered—is when leaders focus on optimizing a higher purpose and economic value, they get more of both.”
—Richard W. Gochnauer, CEO, United Stationers Inc.