A book about Glue - update two

I have been sending out excerpts from my new book ‘Glue’ to reviewers for comments, and hopefully, some endorsements. The responses so far have been really heartening, with many saying that they felt the broad theme is topical and timely, ‘of the moment’, and something important for managers to wrestle with. In fact, we recently commissioned some insight work amongst the Alumni of London Business School and the second most important topic flagged amongst that respondent group (after the issue of turbulence and geo-political uncertainty) was the broad topic of “the future of work’. There is an appetite for clear ideas about leading an organisation that has adopted hybrid working, the future role of physical offices/buildings, and maintaining a productive corporate culture in a hybrid working world. It seems we are in the right ballpark with Glue, I just wish I could get into many hands more quickly!

Somone wrote and asked me to provide a short summary of where the idea for Glue came from, and what I mean by “glue’. Well, all will clearly be revealed when the book finally gets printed and distributed, but ahead of that, here is a 100 words or so, that will hopefully set scene.

A back story for Glue

In 1998 the late Sumantra Ghoshal, a Professor at LBS, developed a compelling theory about why some firms thrived and others faltered.  He proposed that those firms which cultivated social capital amongst employees, created more intellectual capital, which in turn created an ‘organisational advantage’ for that firm compared to its peers. He argued that managers should actively seek ways to configure and encourage collaboration, connections, friendship, reciprocity and trust amongst talented colleagues.  But over two decades later, in a world of remote, flexible and hybrid working, those critical interpersonal bonds seem more tenuous and harder to maintain.  Glue argues that leaders need to rethink the way they make working with others inclusive, involving, collaborative, energising and productive.  People cohere around people (not strategy, or products, or mission statements) so who you work with, who you are led by, and who you serve, is critical to creating the right organisational glue. So, this new book sets out some ideas about glue: what it is, where to look for it, how to use it and, most importantly, how to cultivate glue amongst your most valuable people.

I hope that helps, and I look forward to sharing more very soon.