Management has never been plain sailing. In every era, it faces a new set of challenges. The COVID-19 crisis has amplified and accelerated major shifts that were already underway, transforming the way businesses function. It has also highlighted how ignoring uncertainty is no longer an option for organizations. When faced with the extreme uncertainty brought on by the crisis, some firms were seized with paralysis. Others, by applying various degrees of agility, were able to ride it out – and in the process, prepare for new growth.
In their new book, Resetting Management, IMD professor Stéphane J.G. Girod and research associate Martin Králik set out a compelling case for why business agility now matters more than ever. Going beyond the buzzwords, they show how agility can release a new level of energy, innovation and entrepreneurship that will enable organizations to respond to disruption better. However, rather than advocate a formulaic approach whereby all organizations default to agile methods, they outline the paths towards calibrating the right type and degree of agility for every company’s unique circumstances.
Featuring case studies from some of the world’s leading companies and illustrating how they have successfully, and less successfully, transformed for greater agility – including Lego, General Electric, LMVH and ING – the authors provide leaders with the tools to master a transformation journey.
