For every business, the choice is stark: "Change--or die." At any moment, fully two-thirds of America's companies claim to be in the midst of some type of organizational revamping, though most of these initiatives will fail. What many companies neglect to recognize is that organizational change needs to come from within, no matter how profound the external forces. Positive change requires "change agents" throughout the organization--those individuals who can translate the strategic vision of leaders into pragmatic behavior.

This book identifies the qualities of great change agents and how these skills can be mastered to serve as a catalyst for change throughout the organization. Illustrating these principles through examples from world-class organizations, Dealy and Thomas highlight the five key qualities of great change agents; they:

* challenge the status quo;
* stoke the fire of creativity;
* embrace the necessity of conflict;
* manage risk rather than avoid it; and
* develop new change agents.

Bringing the process of change out of the realm of the analysts and consultants and to the front lines, the authors show you how to thrive in a world that demands nothing less than continuous change.