The Savvy Bibliography

Excellence in Leadership of Product Development Transformation

“Excellence Must be Learned”

PD leaders may assume that they need to lead PD transformation with methods of intimidation, coercion, command, and control - known as the “Theory X” thinking/practice found in enterprises today. The alternative called “Theory Y” authored by the late professor Chris Argyrus (1940s and 1950s), must be learned.

Theory Y’s premise is that individuals will respond positively to leaders who are “virtuous” in their approach, not “vicious.” “Vicious” leadership buys into the use of fear, coercion, high pressure and intimidation. These behaviors do not achieve and sustain high performance and high productivity in the PD organization without real negative impact on the work, the individuals, the teams and the organization.

There are no books about PD transformation leadership using Theory Y. The virtuous leadership of Theory Y must be learned. The Savvy Consortium fills the Theory Y knowledge gap by offering the first Savvy Leadership bibliography comprising exceptional authors with a variety of insights into the virtues embedded in Theory Y Leadership. Savvy leaders can start their learning with these authors.

Authors and Titles

Arbinger Institute

• Leadership and Self Deception - The insightful business novel that describes executives mentoring a product manager in the virtues and practices of “other centered” behavior.

Covey, Stephen

• Principle-Centered Leadership - 1992

• Seven Habits of the Highly Effective People - 1997

DePree, Max

• Leadership is an Art - 1990 - Describes servant leadership thinking and practice.

Drucker, Peter – known as the “the dean of business and management philosophers”

• Management Challenges for the 21st Century - 1999 -Contains insights on knowledge work: habits of the leader to “manage oneself” and to “understand the six conditions for knowledge worker productivity”.

• The Effective Executive - 1967 - “the definitive guide to getting the right things done.” Conclusion: “effectiveness must be learned.” Implication: tasks product development team leaders such as Toyota's Chief Engineer system designer/entrepreneur put to use.

• Managing for Results - describes the “what to do” task of the leader in the context of business purpose.” Business exists to produce results on the outside, in the market and in the economy.”

• Innovation and Entrepreneurship – 1985 - Innovation and entrepreneurship are a required normal, ongoing, everyday activity of the “leader and workers.” Drucker provides the concepts and tools for the task.

Havard, Alexandre

• Virtuous Leadership - an Agenda for Personal Excellence” - the brilliant 21^st Century treatise that uniquely describes the “character of the leader.” Character comprises two virtues: magnanimity and humility. The two are necessary and sufficient for leading people to do their ordinary tasks with rigor, quality and timeliness. Havard says the leader sets the context with a high vision and practical purpose for individuals to accomplish their work. Leaders should read Drucker’s 21^st Century chapters 5 and 6 to synthesize and act on the insights of both authors.

Covey, Stephen

• Principle-Centered Leadership - 1992

• Seven Habits of the Highly Effective People - 1997

Pieper, Josef

• Prudence - Leaders who need to make the right decisions need to learn prudence, “the virtue that makes leaders effective decision makers.”

Transforming the Product Innovation, Design and Development organization is a challenging task that must be accomplished…

to design superior quality products which satisfy customers,

to grow the business by solving design problems innovatively,

to meet all development schedules, and

to generate engineering knowledge for wider use.

Members of the Savvy Consortium can confidently learn and apply the principles, precepts and practices described by the above authors.