The Arc Of Ambition: Defining The Paths Of Achievement [Paperback]

In business -- or in any endeavor -- ambition is the spirit of onward and upward, of striving for something worth achieving. It is the driving force behind all great experiments and risk-takings, triumphs and failures. For authors Jim Champy and Nitin Nohria, it is also the instinctive quality that makes the difference between mere management and leadership. Drawing from original interviews with contemporary figures from many walks of life -- including business, politics, science, and the arts -- Champy and Nohria take readers on a journey of discovery, pinpointing the defining moments, or turning points, in the evolution of leaders, as they wrestle with critical decisions and ethical dilemmas. In the process, they reveal some underlying truths about leadership, such as the ability to hold onto a dream and make it come true, know when it's time to change the business or see it die, and recognize when it's time to hand over the reins. Representing fundamentally new thinking from two of today's greatest business minds,The Arc of Ambitionis certain to challenge and enlighten aspiring leaders everywhere.James Champyis chairman of Cambridge-based Perot Systems Consulting Practice and a pioneer of the reeingineering movement. Co-author of the bestsellingReengineering the Corporationand author ofReengineering Management, he lives in Boston.

Nitin Nohriais Richard P. Chapman professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. The author of over seventy-five articles and several books, including the award-winningThe Differentiated Network, he lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.