The Agenda Mover: When Your Good Idea Is Not Enough

by Samuel B. Bacharach

Overview

Organizations, institutions, and individuals get stuck in spite of their innovative ideas and ambitious agendas. Never has the timing been better for a book that cuts through the theoretical jargon and delineates the exact political and managerial skills leaders need to move agendas forward. Whether you're a team leader trying to lead change and innovation in a large corporation, an entrepreneur trying to gain support, a politician trying to expand your coalition, or an individual trying to advance your career and build networks, The Agenda Mover will give you the political and managerial leadership skills necessary to achieve results. Based on the premise that leadership competencies and skills can be learned, The Agenda Mover is the inaugural volume of the practitioner-oriented Pragmatic Leadership Series published in association with Cornell University Press. Each volume emphasizes specific skills of execution that leaders at all levels need to master. Visit pragmaticleadershipseries.com to learn more about the series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501725081
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	07/15/2018
Series:	The Pragmatic Leadership Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	186
Sales rank:	102,208
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Samuel B. Bacharach, the McKelvey-Grant Professor at Cornell University, is the cofounder of the New York City–based Bacharach Leadership Group, which focuses on leadership as execution. His latest book is Transforming the Clunky Organization: Pragmatic Leadership Skills for Breaking Inertia, the second book in the Pragmatic Leadership Series.

Table of Contents

1. The Political Competence of Execution
2. Anticipate the Agendas of Others: Know Where They're Coming From
3. Mobilize Your Campaign: Get Initial Support
4. Negotiate Support: Get the Buy-In
5. Sustain Your Campaign: Get Things Done
Conclusion: "We" Not "I": You Can’t Do It Alone

What People are Saying About This

Eric Schurenberg

We encounter a lot of leadership experts at Inc., but no one cuts through the hoo-haw surrounding the topic as brilliantly—or as entertainingly—as Sam. Readers of The Agenda Mover come away realizing that the core of leadership isn't the 'vision thing’ or the ‘charisma thing.’ It’s the execution thing. Leaders who follow Sam’s precepts don’t waste time on flash. Instead they acquire that one essential but all-too-rare attribute of effective leadership: They get things done.

Rob Manfred

Professor Bacharach takes the abstract concept of leadership and provides a practical guide to producing results in the modern organization. The Agenda Mover clearly explains how the combination of technical competence and political acumen can be used to make a great idea reality. This is a must-read for every executive.

Andy Doyle

Innovation and ideation are both very popular given the current business climate, but these alone are insufficient without pairing them with the ability to work great ideas through the maze of the organization. The Agenda Mover uniquely focuses on the critical skills of execution to unleash these great ideas. If you really want your organization to become more innovative, you need to read this book to ensure you can transform the innovative ideas into action plans that will change your organization.

Editorial Reviews

"Innovation and ideation are both very popular given the current business climate, but these alone are insufficient without pairing them with the ability to work great ideas through the maze of the organization. The Agenda Mover uniquely focuses on the critical skills of execution to unleash these great ideas. If you really want your organization to become more innovative, you need to read this book to ensure you can transform the innovative ideas into action plans that will change your organization."

--Andy Doyle, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Oppenheimer Funds

"Professor Bacharach takes the abstract concept of leadership and provides a practical guide to producing results in the modern organization. The Agenda Mover clearly explains how the combination of technical competence and political acumen can be used to make a great idea reality. This is a must-read for every executive."

--Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Major League Baseball

"We encounter a lot of leadership experts at Inc., but no one cuts through the hoo-haw surrounding the topic as brilliantly--or as entertainingly--as Sam. Readers of The Agenda Mover come away realizing that the core of leadership isn't the 'vision thing' or the 'charisma thing.' It's the execution thing. Leaders who follow Sam's precepts don't waste time on flash. Instead they acquire that one essential but all-too-rare attribute of effective leadership: They get things done."

--Eric Schurenberg, President and Editor-in-Chief, Inc. Media

From the Publisher

"We encounter a lot of leadership experts at Inc., but no one cuts through the hoo-haw surrounding the topic as brilliantly—or as entertainingly—as Sam. Readers of The Agenda Mover come away realizing that the core of leadership isn't the 'vision thing’ or the ‘charisma thing.’ It’s the execution thing. Leaders who follow Sam’s precepts don’t waste time on flash. Instead they acquire that one essential but all-too-rare attribute of effective leadership: They get things done."

Eric Schurenberg

"Professor Bacharach takes the abstract concept of leadership and provides a practical guide to producing results in the modern organization. The Agenda Mover clearly explains how the combination of technical competence and political acumen can be used to make a great idea reality. This is a must-read for every executive."

Rob Manfred

"Innovation and ideation are both very popular given the current business climate, but these alone are insufficient without pairing them with the ability to work great ideas through the maze of the organization. The Agenda Mover uniquely focuses on the critical skills of execution to unleash these great ideas. If you really want your organization to become more innovative, you need to read this book to ensure you can transform the innovative ideas into action plans that will change your organization."

Andy Doyle