Theory of Tipping points

In any organization, once the beliefs and

energies of a critical mass of people are
engaged, conversion to a new idea will
spread like an epidemic.
Brattons way
Break through the cognitive hurdle
Putting managers face to face in operational problems
Reality cannot be evaded
Poor performance can be seen but not only heard
Bratton changed policy in NYPD
Use of Subways for travelling
General Manager MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority) - New cars
purchase



Side Stepping The Resource Hurdle
Leaders like Bratton do not need extra resources to reach the
tipping point. They concentrate resources where the need
and the likely payoffs are greatest.
Efficient resource utilization
Using at right places
New York narcotics unit
Change in schedules (focus on weekends)
Major reallocation of staff & resources
Esserman & Bratton offered the obvious trade
New York Transit police
Monitored crime rates at all subways
Enhanced strengths at required few tolls
Employed out of uniform cops for monitoring
Bust buses to reduce arrest processing time
Jump The Motivational Hurdle
Internalizing need for change
Common practices- Reforming incentives throughout organization
o Time taking and Expensive
Brattons way of solving the motivational problem
o Brattons way of Signaling key influencers identifying the kingpins to
topple all
o Introduced semi-weekly strategy meetings Participants were
o commanders who control 200 to 400 officers
o Senior staff
o Three star chiefs
o Deputy commissioners
o Borough chiefs



oGave birth to culture of performance
oAble to set attainable goals
oNYPD made the streets of New York safe
block by block, percinct by percinct and
borough by borough

Political hurdle
A lesson Bratton Learned the hard way.
youth and skill will win out every time over age & Treachery
Importance of understanding the plotting and politics
involved in pushing through change
Fight to protect their position
Need for a respected senior in the top team,
Miamis police commissioner John Timoney
Reporting system by Jack Maple
City court against the zero-tolerance policy
Brattons alliance with the Mayor Rudolph
Giuliani and New York Times

Dark side of leadership

Technical Change
Adaptive Change

Survival guide
Look out ward
Look inward


Operate in and above the fray
Maintaining reflection capacity in fog of war
Getting of the dance floor and going to the balcony
Leadership is an improvisational art
Be an observer and participant both.

Court the uncommitted
Be close to your opponents
To defuse potential resistance
Practice what you preach (Gene Patterson, editor St. Petersburg
time)
Acknowledge your own responsibility (Leslie Warner, CEO of the
Limited)
Cook the conflict
Resistance to Change
Clashing view points
Manage and constructively use conflicts
Create a place to freely bubble up conflicts
Control the temperature (a productive range of distress)
Place the work where it belongs
Mobilize the work of others
Chicago Bulls (Jackson, the coach; Pippen, Kukoc,
Myers)
Your seemingly indestructible self can self-destruct

Manage your hungers
Desire for control
(you focus on maintaining order as an end in itself)
Desire for importance
(A grandiose sense of self-importance often leads to self-
deception)

Anchor yourself
Establish a safe harbor (reflect on the previous days journey)
You need a confidant
Dont confuse confidants with allies
Your personal self is different from your professional role
(The criticism is on issue not you)
You can lead and stay alivenot just register a pulse,
but really be alive

Cynicism, often dressed up as realism, undermines
creativity and daring

Why Lead?

It is not possible to know the rewards and joys of
leadership with-out experiencing the pain as well. But
staying in the game and bearing that pain is worth it.