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July 2016 Vol. 53 No. 11

Kegan and Lahey (Harvard Univ.) incorporate adult-developmental theory to enhance organizational profitability, improve honesty in communications, reduce political maneuvering, and increase solutions to intractable problems.  The focus of the theory is to allow people to grow in all major activities of the organization and reduce their motivation to hide weaknesses and manage other’s impressions.  The authors investigate three Deliberately Developmental Organizations (DDOs) that exemplify the theory.  Next Jump, an e-commerce tech company, has programs such as the Personal Leadership Boot Camp to overcome negative mindsets and exercise leadership through regular feedback from peers and managers.  The Decurion Corporation includes ArcLight, a real estate and movie theater arm of the company.  It incorporates “fishbowl” conversations among managers that uncover multiple perspectives on problems.  Bridgewater, the world’s best performing hedge fund, has radical transparency with glass office walls and recordings of almost every meeting.  All DDOs consider errors as learning opportunities, cultures built through teams and people development, and timescales of projects set for growth.  The book includes a chapter on uncovering your biggest blind spots.

--G. E. Kaupins, Boise State University

Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals.