As fast, furious, and constant change takes root in our everyday work lives, putting pressure on both organizations and individuals to adapt or perish, many of us are choosing a dangerous tactic: keeping our heads down, our mouths shut, and simply taking our paychecks to the bank―a no-passion, no-risk, no-commitment work ethic. For those on a path to slow career death―a path that also affects the competitiveness, progress, and overall health of the organizations in which we work―Deep Change offers a survival manual for finding our own internal leadership power and learning the most important skill of all to triumph in the face of change: to “know thyself.”

Exploring the dynamic process of deep change and learning the new ways of thinking and behaving it requires can put an end to the slow death dilemma forever. In defining this process, author Robert E. Quinn, a renowned expert on organizations and management, demonstrates the crucial importance of deep change as the path to self-understanding and the key to revitalization of the individual and the organization. By finding our own moral core and beginning to see ourselves and our organizations in new and more productive ways, he explains, we can transform ourselves from victims to powerful agents of change.

An introspective journey for those of us in the trenches of today’s modern organizations, Deep Change is filled with illuminating stories and personal examples of the stages of change and the dangerous effects of refusing to change. It also includes reflective questions and ideas at the end of each chapter to help put insights into action.

Through the simple power of self-knowledge that fuels the passion, vision, and willingness to take risks that create excellence, Deep Change reveals the remarkable capacity each of us holds to change ourselves and, ultimately, our organizations.

DON’T LET YOUR COMPANY KILL YOU!

For anyone who yearns to be an internally driven leader, to encourage and motivate the people around them, and to return to a full and satisfying work life, Deep Change holds the key.

“Control is a fundamental issue for every successful manager―and both personal and organizational change involve giving it up. Deep Change gets to the heart of this issue and brilliantly guides the reader down the path to personal and organizational transformation.”

―Jerry I. Porras, Lane Professor of Organizational Behavior and Change, Stanford Business School, and coauthor of Built to Last

“Quinn clearly explains the urgent need of today’s leaders to understand and implement change or else face a certain, slow death.… Deep Change motivates its readers to embrace change, not fear it.”

―David R. Whitwam, chairman and CEO, Whirlpool Corporation

“Beautifully written and filled with practical exercises and personal reflections. Open this book at your own risk: it contains ‘subversive’ ideas that might encourage you to change.”

―Warren Bennis, University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, University of Southern California, and founding chairman of the Leadership Institute

“Should be mandatory reading for every business leader seeking the strength, direction, energy, and inspiration to shape organizational transformation. Quinn is a master storyteller and teacher, and his work is a spiritual journey of discovery that illuminates and empowers the visionary leader in all of us.”

―Thomas C. Jones, president, CIGNA Individual Insurance

“A fascinating book, with a rare wisdom not only about the real difficulties of organizational change, but also about solutions. Essentially practical, yet philosophical, with real-life examples that bring heady material down to earth.”

―Nigel Freedman, deputy director company training, Philips Electronics, The Netherlands

THE AUTHOR

ROBERT E. QUINN, author of Beyond Rational Management (Jossey-Bass, 1991) and Becoming a Master Manager (2nd edition, 1996), helps business and government leaders understand and manage organizational life through his teaching, consulting, books, and numerous published articles. He holds the Margaret Elliot Tracy Collegiate Professorship of organizational behavior and human resource management at the Graduate School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.