Lead the Work. Creelman David

      “Lead the Work delivers revolutionary thinking about the emerging transformation in how work will be done in the future, as well as when, where, why, and by whom it will be done. This book contemplates a world beyond traditional employment models. It asks and answers the crucial yet frightening question – what would happen if the traditional employment model gave way to more bite-sized, freelanced, project-based, shorter-term gigs? It not only addresses this question, but also challenges us to rethink the implications of blowing up and refashioning long-held assumptions about leadership, organizational operating models, workforce engagement, culture and purpose, and the future of the human resources profession, to name a few.

      “Imagine a world of work where most (or a significant percentage) of the people doing the work are not our employees, but rather freelancers who have complete control over what work they choose to do, when they choose to do it, where they choose to do it, with whom they choose to do it, and why they choose to do it. Imagine the implications of leading the work rather than the employees doing the work.

      “Boudreau, Jesuthasan, and Creelman get our attention, question our assumptions, capture our imaginations, shake us up, and help us see all will be all right – but not before they teach us what we have to do to reshape the role of leaders and organizations. After reading Lead the Work, you will never think about leadership, work, or the workforce in quite the same way again.”

      “Finally a book that takes us into the rapidly evolving nature of work and how workers and organizations will respond! The authors have provided the first book to enable HR leaders and organizations to better understand where work is going and to create tools and methods to respond to these changes.”

      “As a board member of the Institute for the Future and a former CHRO in Silicon Valley, I have become very aware that we are moving from a world of hierarchical organizational structures toward a world where human resources can be digitally activated, deactivated, and reconfigured to come together as needed and where needed. In its best form, workers from all over the globe will be empowered to choose when, where, and how they work. Many will choose to be their own employers. Those who continue to align with a specific institution will expect equivalent opportunity and flexibility, and the challenge of building a productive work community in this kind of environment will call upon new forms of leadership. John, Ravin, and David's look at the evolution of work has arrived not a moment too soon. It is time that every person who occupies a position of leadership or aspires to be a leader fully appreciates this new world of work, and this well-grounded research is an important step in that direction.”

      “The authors have very thoughtfully and clearly described the opportunity for companies to deconstruct work into ‘tangible deliverables,’ and then source the work from new and rapidly evolving labor pools. Those who are tracking the dynamics of these evolving labor pools understand that the ‘free-agent workforce’ is well represented by workers who are described as ‘creatives.’ Shopping in that labor pool is important if you believe creativity is critical to your future business performance. Executing these ideas will be nontrivial, and will require nontraditional thinking and methods. CHROs will have an important role in these transformations, but the success of changes of this scale requires the full alignment of the CEO and the executive team.”

      “Boudreau, Jesuthasan, and Creelman invite us into the new world of work, where technology disrupts markets and businesses, where the democratization of work empowers the individual employee and drives enhanced employee choice, and where work models emerge from other domains, such as sports or moviemaking, where ‘loaning talent,’ free agency, or assembling project-based production teams is the norm. They introduce this world through a series of contemporary, diverse examples ranging from the established infrastructure of IBM to Topcoder, an online community that ‘gathers the world's experts in design, development, and data science to work on interesting and challenging problems.’ They urge today's leaders to step boldly into this complexity and ambiguity, and provide a framework to guide their journey. That framework is accessible and compelling, whether you are a chief executive officer, a business unit leader, an academic, or a human capital professional. As a former chief human resources officer, I suggest that HR leaders read this book with their CEOs, business unit leaders, and leadership teams. Use it as an organizational diagnosis and to develop a road map for this ‘brave new world of work.’”

      “Future organizational challenges require rethinking fundamental assumptions, and some of the most important assumptions have to do with work and workers. Achieving success through talent is the job of corporate officers, boards, managers, workers, citizens, and governments. Lead the Work offers CEOs a thoughtful framework for navigating the rapidly evolving nature of how work gets done. It is a forward-looking guide to the future, with useful, important, and practical insights for operating in today's environment as well. CEOs should read this book together with their heads of HR, their extended leadership teams, and their boards. This book clearly describes a future that is approaching fast, with an important vision for leadership and human resource management.”