The adoption of remote, hybrid and flexible working is the new normal. But like the old normal, no one seems very happy. The solution requires a different type of leadership – one that unites, transforms and elevates performance. Leadership that creates glue.
With employee engagement, productivity and personal ties on the wane, leaders urgently need to refocus on harnessing relationships, making their organisations more humane, and finding new ways to engage and unleash talent. To do that, the single, most impactful thing leaders can do is to create and nurture an intangible, yet essential, factor called glue.
So, this book sets out some ideas about glue: where to look for it, how to use it and, most importantly, how to cultivate glue amongst your most valuable people. It explores the approach of some unusual leaders, and of firms transformed through the ‘organisational advantage’ of smartly configuring and harnessing talent. Using stories from firms such as Alibaba, Apple, Barclays, Sky, Husqvarna Group, HSBC, Space X, Zopa and Richer Sounds, the book shows how leaders can shape the effectiveness of teams, reimagine the workplace, and reinvigorate their business through the talents, ideas and energy of their firm’s best people.
This book is for anyone who has a genuine interest in leading others with impact and wants to better unite, transform and elevate their business. Whatever your role, sector or seniority, this book sets out a distinctive vision for the firm and shows the profound impact you can make through creating and nurturing glue.
Introduction: Transforming leadership 1. The importance of glue 2. Discovering glue 3. The advantage of glue 4. Defining glue 5. Leading with glue 6. Creating glue 7. Experimenting with glue 8. Barriers to glue 9. Storytelling glue 10. Organisational glue 11. Applying glue
Biography
John Dore is a Programme Director at London Business School, where he leads the school’s flagship executive education programme, the Senior Executive Programme (SEP).
‘GLUE challenges us to rethink modern leadership. It is a timely roadmap for leaders navigating the key post-Covid organisational challenge of the hybrid age: How do we maintain a cohesive and motivational “office culture” when the traditional office no longer meets the needs of our teams?’
Inger Ashing, CEO, Save The Children International‘John Dore’s fascinating new book scours the modern landscape of work, proposing a new model of managing and leading that better coheres people around a genuine purpose, shared meaning and a freedom to experiment.’
Jeremy Darroch, former Executive Chairman and Group Chief Executive, Sky‘With infectious passion for his areas of expertise, anecdotes in abundance and tools for immediate application, John Dore is the glue on the programmes he directs. Happily for readers, he is as inspirational on the page as he is in the classroom.’
Richard Hytner, Adjunct Professor of Marketing, London Business School; founder, Blue Hat Man‘This is the book we all wish we’d read in February 2020. We needed glue more than ever then, and we certainly need it now. The concept of glue is a brilliant shorthand for bringing together people, purpose and leadership – and making it stick.’
Catherine Faeirs, COO Autotrader‘In John Dore’s timely new book he lays out a new approach to management where leaders unite employees around bold goals, a shared purpose and a passion for experimentation. GLUE is practical, provocative and essential reading for 21st-century leaders.’
Gary Hamel, one of the world’s most influential and iconoclastic business thinkers‘As organisations adapt and reinvent for the Never Normal, the physical and hybrid workplace will continue to rapidly evolve. John Dore’s entertaining new book explores the future of work and reimagines the role of the leader.’
Peter Hinssen, Founder of nexxworks, and author of The Day After Tomorrow‘GLUE is a wonderful book that addresses one of the most pressing challenges of our time – how to create and maintain stronger interpersonal bonds among our employees in a world where work is increasingly becoming more remote and hybrid. The book is full of ideas and examples on how to achieve this. It should become essential reading for leaders everywhere.’
Costas Markides, Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, London Business School‘I have known John for many years and I can vouch for his understanding and knowledge of what it takes to bring people together and form expert leadership teams. John is a master of this, a topic which has assumed such importance post-Covid lockdowns and in a more flexible, hybrid working world.’
Chris Allen, CEO, Quintet Private Bank‘Whether the distance that separates your team is geographical, operational or emotional, the required ‘hybrid’ leadership strategies to re-engage, re-equip and re-inspire your teams can be found in this ground-breaking new book. Put simply, GLUE is a leader’s guidebook for the future of work.’
Jim Steele, Performance Coach and author of Unashamedly Superhuman‘We live in challenging times, with record levels of disengagement and employee turnover. In this thought-provoking and inspiring book, John Dore explains the vital role of social capital – glue, in his words – as the hidden ingredient that leaders can nurture to help them create vibrant and purposeful organisations.’
Julian Birkinshaw, Professor and Vice Dean, London Business School
