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xxvi Preface

and have purposeful existence. This chapter describes how some of the
mechanistic, dehumanizing theories about organizations are conceptually
flawed and no longer fit for purpose. In Chapters 2, 3 and 4 we move on to
the what: showing what needs to be done in organizations to adopt new
management practices for organizational transformation, better innovation,
engagement and value creation. Finally, in Chapters 5 and 6, I address the
how dimension, demonstrating how this Management Shift can be achieved
in practice. I describe a proven method called the 6 Box Leadership Model,
based on more than 20 years of my interdisciplinary research and consulting
experience. I have used it successfully in more than 20 organizations
worldwide, large, medium and small, in private and public sectors, to help
them transform and create more value. At the end of the book, I reflect
on the implications of The Management Shift in terms of creating better
social conditions as well as more effective companies, and describe existing
initiatives that are helping to bring about this radical change.

This book is the culmination of many years of my academic and practical
work, diverse consulting experience and, most of all, my huge passion
and desire to make a positive difference, facilitate a shift in corporate
consciousness and make this world a better place. I strongly believe that
the purpose of life is to help others, to work on something far greater
than ourselves, and my research shows that such an approach creates
organizations that are more dynamic and resilient as well as socially
responsible. It is the difference between building a cathedral and just
carving the stones, to borrow the vivid metaphor of management thinker
Peter Drucker in his book The Practice of Management. 1

This book is about turning knowledge into action to achieve a transfor-
mation. This is not a lofty ambition: I describe how it has been done. It
is about igniting changes of individual mindsets and organizational cul-
ture that create The Management Shift, creating many positive ripples
that will go far beyond individuals and their organizations, positively
impacting societies on a large scale. The power of creating positive rip-
ples is beautifully illustrated in this quote from Robert F. Kennedy: “Each
time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others,
or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope,