This book provides a much needed new perspective on leadership in a networked environment, demonstrating clearly and concisely the value of a “leader of leaders.” This is a must-read for managers and aspiring leaders.
-- Fulvio Conti, Chief Executive Officer, Enel
"Transforming health is one of the most critical challenges -- and important opportunities -- facing America today. Over the past two years we’ve used Booz Allen's megacommunity model to address both pandemic influenza and Alzheimer's disease -- two particularly difficult cases. In both instances, the results were powerful and far-reaching. Simply put, these concepts work. We’ll be applying the methods explained in this important book even more ambitiously in the months ahead."
-- Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, founder of the Center for Health Transformation
Megacommunities offers a comprehensive, groundbreaking approach to the challenge of global interdependence. An eminently readable and practical handbook for everyone interested in shaping a future of sustainable progress and social inclusiveness, Megacommunities deserves the widest possible audience. This is one of those rare well-reasoned books that can make a real difference in the world.
-- Richard D. Parsons, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Time Warner
Megacommunities presents a timely framework for developing multifaceted and self-reinforcing solutions to the problems of the 21st century. As the authors describe, our largest problems can be turned into profitable solutions when we focus on optimization rather than maximization. Creating these responsive solutions, therefore, requires the substitution of brainpower for dogma…. The authors accurately find that progress is well underway, and that we are indeed self-selecting integrated approaches for the inherent benefits that they bring. For those seeking insight on dynamic and resilient problem solving, Megacommunities provides a rich foundation to help accelerate the evolution of a healthier and more equitable world."
-- Amory B. Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute
Megacommunities is a problem-solving action manual for the 21st century. It is essential reading for leaders in business, government and civil society who are addressing some of the toughest societal challenges locally and globally. The authors provide us with a groundbreaking model that has the power to change the world for the better.
--Melanne Verveer, Co-founder and Chairman, Vital Voices Global Partnership
An insightful and engrossing read, Megacommunities brings creative new thinking to the challenges confronting leaders in our increasingly complex and interdependent world. It addresses problems head on, is full of good sense, and offers guidance that is compelling. This important book, for the strategist in particular, is hard to ignore.
--Admiral (Retired) Sir Ian Forbes, Former NATO Supreme Commander
Megacommunities introduces us to a world of complex problems, where traditional economic and financial incentives are not sufficient, where it is impossible for all players to secure their first choice outcome. And where multiple vetoes operate and free riders abound. This world calls for creativity and imagination, the ability to build trust, form alliances and do deals. Megacommunities also provokes a rethink about how we identify and develop our political, business and civic leaders -- people who can think across the boundaries of their own organizations, can communicate, can influence and be influenced, who think in terms of optimizing rather than maximizing, and who, in short, can pilot us from the selfish world of the Prisoner's Dilemma to the collaborative world of John Nash's Equilibrium. "
-- Lord Andrew Turnbull, Former UK Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service
As the new President and CEO of Common Cause, an organization that works to ensure that the political process serves the public interest, I wholeheartedly agree that progress in business, government and civil society must be attained through citizen-centered multi-lateral solutions. In our near 40-year history of reform work, Common Cause has long believed that engaging a diverse citizenry as well as a wide array of coalition partners is the most effective path to significant change, and Megacommunities captures that well."
-- Dr. Robert W. Edgar, President and CEO, Common Cause
Megacommunities offers unique insight about how modern leaders can deal with the growing challenges and complexities of our globalizing world. The authors give valuable, common sense advice about how to maneuver large organizations and big ideas through an increasingly networked, connected, more complicated global society. Any serious leader in business, government and civil society needs to read this work and apply its lessons.
-- General John Abizaid (Retired), United States Army and former Commander of the United States Central Command
As the modern world has become more interdependent and global, the magnitude and complexity of the problems facing society have also grown. The ability to manage highly dispersed people and operations while responding to unusual problems and crises requires new tools and new leadership approaches. This important and incisive book illuminates how the mutual self-interests of actors in private, public and non-governmental organizations can be harnessed to develop shared approaches to dealing with very complex challenges in such disparate areas as economic strength, national security or broad health or environmental issues. The Booz Allen authors’ concept of 'megacommunities' as an organizing principle for managing collaboratively across traditional functional boundaries -- and thereby transitioning from a hierarchal management structure to one characterized by networks of networks of experts -- has wide applicability. It is a critical new tool for today's leaders – and tomorrow's."
-- Denis A. Bovin, Vice Chairman, Investment Banking, Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
"For too long “public-private partnerships” to solve global problems have left out the majority of the public – the four billion poor of the developing world. “Megacommunities” is a bold and big idea that will give the poor an equal voice in global efforts to deal with what they know best – poverty"
-- Hernando de Soto, president, Instituto Libertad y Democracia, Perú and author of The Mystery of Capital
When really big problems come knocking, including natural disasters, epidemic diseases or the slower moving dislocations of globalization or environmental degradation, you had better hope you can call upon the resources of a healthy, vibrant megacommunity. Complex problems cannot be addressed by government, business or civil society acting alone. Megacommunities offers pragmatic advice, born from case studies and the broad experience of many leaders, on how to join civil society and the commercial and public sector behind resolution of challenges that none can meet alone.
-- Curt Struble, Former US Ambassador to Peru
Megacommunities offers a refreshing, organizational framework to help leaders solve the thorny and complex problems that devolve from technology and globalization. The book elaborates the networked strength of collaboration between business, government and civil society.
-- Richard H.K. Vietor, Senator John Heinz Professor of Environmental Management, Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration
The complex issues of today's world have finally a strategic solution. The post globalized world calls for tri-sector leaders to acknowledge how the traditional sphere of influence and competences have changed and conflicts are even more complex that anyone can do it alone. Megacommunities cuts through the complexity with precise path to leadership.
-- Andrea Ragnetti, Member of the Board of Management of Royal Philips Electronics and CEO of Philips Consumer Lifestyle Sector
"Geocomplexity, network capital, dynamic tension, swarm intelligence -- this is the language of Megacommunities. But unlike so many other books promising management miracles, these terms are not old ideas in new jargon. They outline a genuinely different framework for thinking about the world and its multiplying problems. Best of all, they become actual tools for tackling those problems. This book is a ray of hope!"
-- Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University
