Meet Jim Barton, new CEO of Santa Monica Aerospace. Jim's job won't be easy: the company's hemorrhaging cash, struggling to regain investors' trust after an accounting scandal, and striving to transform its military and manufacturing culture to become a global aerospace integrator.Jim isn't real: Harder Than I Thought is a novel. But his story--developed in consultation with seasoned, actual CEOs--contains crucial lessons for all chief executives. Walk in Jim's shoes to engage in challenges that include:- Formulating and executing strategy – Managing financial and labor crises – Fostering a culture of innovation and continuous transformation – Forging global partnerships – Making ethical choices in an increasingly transparent environmentAs events in each chapter push Barton to the edge of his abilities, he seeks counsel from a panel of expert advisers. These collaborative reflections invite you to apply the lessons from this story to your own situation.Experts agree that many twentieth-century leadership practices are inadequate to the stormy twenty-first-century present. This engaging and provocative book equips you with the insights you'll need to rise with the occasion of a rapidly shifting business landscape.
