THE RESPONSIBILITY VIRUS --- HOW CONTROL FREAKS, SHRINKING VIOLETS
(AND THE REST OF US) CAN HARNESS THE POWER OF TRUE PARTNERSHIP
by Roger Martin. Basic Books, 2002
 PREFACE

INTRODUCTION --- DO WE NEED ANOTHER HERO? (p1-12)

    Why do so many leaders fail despite their hardest effort?

    Why do so many administrators act as aggressive leaders one minute and passive followers the next?

    Why do large organizations often fail to harvest the "advantages of scale" they are supposed to have over smaller organizations?

    This book has been written from the "heart" to influence the hearts and minds of readers.

PART 1 --- DYNAMICS OF THE RESPONSIBILITY VIRUS (p13-58)

    1) Understanding the "Responsibility Virus" (p15-30)

    2) Role of the "fear of failure" (p31-43)

    3) Static and dynamic conservation of responsibility (p45-58)

PART 2 --- COSTS OF THE RESPONSIBILITY VIRUS (p59-101)

    4) The death of collaboration (p61-73)

    5) The development of mistrust and misunderstanding (p75-88)

    6) Atrophy of "choice-making" skills (p89-101)

PART 3 --- TOOLS FOR INOCULATING AGAINST THE VIRUS (p103-178)

    7) The "Choice Structuring Process" (p105-128)

    8) The "Frame" experiment (p129-144)

    9) The "responsibility ladder" (p145-160)

    10) The redefinitioin of leadership and followership (p161-178)

PART 4 --- FIGHTING THE RESPONSIBILITY VIRUS (p179-257)

    11) Mired in "under-responsibility" (p181-193)

      [1] The state of "under-responsibility" (181-184)

      [2] A seven-step process for escaping under-responsibility (p184-193)

        (1) Visualize the end result of the path you are traveling (p184-185)

        (2) Reframe the over-responsible party (p185-187)

        (3) Pick a burning issue on which you want to work (p187)

        (4) Engage in a responsibility ladder conversation (p187-190)

        (5) Use the choice structuring tool to gain comfort (p190-191)

        6) Do it and reflect (p191-192)

        7) Repeat the above six steps over and over (p193)

    12) Trapped in "over-responsibility" (p195-208)

      [1] A process for escaping over-responsibility (p198-208)

        (1) Visualize the end result of the path you are traveling (p198-200)

        (2) Reframe the under-responsibility party (p200-201)

        (3) Pick a burning issue on which you want to work (p201-202)

        (4) Engage in a responsibility ladder conversation (p202-204)

        (5) Use the "Choice Structuring Tool" to gain comfort (p204-206)

        6) Do it and reflect (p206-207)

        7) Repeat the above six steps over and over (p207-208)

    13) The challenge facing professionals (p209-222)

      [1] The common "relationship structure" (p209-215)

      [2] Overcoming the responsibility virus as a professional (p216-222)

        (1) Redefined leadership (p216-218)

        (2) The "Choice Structuring" process (p218-219)

        (3) The responsibility ladder (p219-221)

        (4) The "Frame" experiment (p221-222)

    14) The challenge for boards of directors (p223-239)

      [1] Introduction (p223-233)

      [2] Tools for overcoming the challenge to board effectiveness (p233-239)

        (1) The responsibility ladder (p234-236)

        (2) Redefinition of leadership/followership (p236-237)

        (3) The "Frame" experiment (p237-238)

        (4) The "Choice Structuring Process" (p238-239)

    15) Fighting the virus in everyday life (p241-257)

      [1] Leading with the "Responsibility Ladder" (p242-246)

      [2] Leading with the "Choice Structuring Process" (p247-254)

      [3] Leading with the redefinition of leadership and followership (p254-257)

CONCLUSION --- RECOGNIZING AND FIGHTING THE RESPONSIBILITY VIRUS (p259-269)

      [1] The "fear-of-failure" irony (p259-261)

      [2] Taking two to tango (p261-263)

      [3] Reflecting on "governing values" (p264-268)

      [4] Living on the edge (p268-269)

NOTES (p271-276)

INDEX (p277-286)

Go to: Character Issue at Work
Go to: Leadership Issue at Work
Go to: Success Issue at Work
Go to: Leadership Control Essay
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