The Paradoxical Manager

“Olivier Zara is a good pedagogue. He makes complex theories accessible to operational people by using simple words and keeping the focus on action. His well-structured thought allows readers to advance at their own pace. He is a humanist who calls upon every manager to have greater internal discipline in order to unlock positive energies.” Laurence Monnet Vernier, Organization Transformation & Talents Senior Advisor at Deloitte

Practical Guide for Agility in an Uncertain World

Collective intelligence is not just a method for helping a manager to become a leader by facilitating change and transformation. It also permits one to go beyond individual motivation by creating long-lasting collective engagement.

There are “complicated” situations where experts have an adapted response. There are “complex” situations where it is better to appeal to collective intelligence. When faced with a blank page, the answer is not always obvious. Neither the manager, nor the team, nor the company know with certainty what needs to be decided.

The paradoxical manager knows how to exercise his leadership when faced with complex situations. He knows how to go from Command and Control mode to Collective Intelligence Management mode depending on the situation.

Using a paradoxical or chaordic (chaos + order) organization as a reference, to use the term by Dee Hock, founder of VISA, this book invites you to look at your organization differently and to put in place new management practices.

Designed to be a practical guide, this book will help you to become a paradoxical manager!