Extraordinary Outcomes: Shaping an Otherwise Unpredictable Future

Extraordinary Outcomes presents an innovative approach to thinking and planning, giving leaders a playbook for dealing with uncertainty. Written by internationally recognized authorities on problem solving and creativity in organizations, this book provides an alternative outlook on business strategy and people management for leaders navigating uncertain waters, where the future is anything but guaranteed. The framework is the result of research in multiple fields and the authors' experiences with individuals, teams, and organizations, with examples from real-world situations that illustrate the concepts and dynamics at work to give readers deeper insight. The focus is on conquering uncertainty - eliminating it where possible, reducing it where it can be reduced, and embracing it when it's inevitable.

Traditional ways of thinking and planning do not work in the face of an uncertain future. Frequently there are just no guarantees, nothing written in stone, and even a fortune-teller couldn't accurately predict the outcome. Extraordinary Outcomes helps leaders prepare for that, with strategies geared toward preparedness and embracing uncertainty.

• Learn why skills and talent are only two pieces of a bigger puzzle
• Discover how to better galvanize the team, and keep them motivated long-term
• Connect to a purpose that inspires enthusiastic engagement
• Conquer uncertainty, and develop a strategy for dealing with mistakes

No one likes to be caught off guard, and the consequences can be severe at the organizational level. Leaders can't be psychic, but they can plan for possible outcomes and always have a solution at the ready. For those who like to have an answer for everything, Extraordinary Outcomes provides a roadmap toward an uncertainty-proof strategy for doing business.

IRIS R. FIRSTENBERG, PHD, is a professor at UCLA in the Department of Psychology and the Anderson School of Management. She has previously coauthored two books, including The Minding Organization. Iris also teaches corporate seminars on leadership development and innovative thinking.

MOSHE F. RUBINSTEIN, PHD, is an authority on organizational problem solving and an emeritus professor at the UCLA School of Engineering and Applied Science. He has written ten books, including Patterns of Problem Solving.