Warrick’s book explores how leaders can apply critical leadership skills. It provides real-world cases written by well-known experts and top-level executives from around the world of leaders applying the critical skills needed to be a successful, high impact leader in a fast-paced modern society.
“Cases on Critical Leadership Skills” was published by Edward Elgar Publishing in 2024.
To share more, Warrick answered seven questions about his book below.
1. If you were describing your book to someone outside of your field, what would you say?
This is a book of interesting, relevant, and often inspiring real-world cases written by some of the top leadership and organization development experts in the world that prepare present and future leaders with the critical leadership skills they need to develop to be high-impact leaders committed to making a difference.
2. How did you get the idea for your project?
I had previously published three case books on Leadership, Managing Change, and Building Culture. I thought that it would be an excellent idea to create a new book with the best of the cases from the previous books and with new cases that focus on current times and issues.
3. Did your focus develop or change throughout the research and writing process?
My focus didn’t change but my commitment to the project grew immensely for several reasons. The excitement of the authors of the cases grew. Then, some of the best known people in the world in their areas of expertise agreed to write endorsements. Finally, along the way I started working with Alan Mulally, the legendary CEO of Ford Motor Company who co-authored a case with me about his turn around of Ford and wrote the Foreword to the book. Mr. Mulally has been named by some authorities as one of the top CEO’s and leaders in the world. Putting books like this together is no small task, so all of these factors kept me excited about the project.
4. Which idea do you write about that most excites, invigorates or inspires you?
I absolutely love being in a field that has the potential to change leaders, organizations, and lives for the better and that can have such a multiplier effect. If I can help prepare one leader to be a high impact leader, that one leader can effect hundreds of lives as well as the teams and organizations they work in.
5. Describe your writing space. Where do you do your best work? What time of day? Do you have any writing routines you are willing to share?
Even though I have had the privilege of authoring or coauthoring 11 books and many articles, I am definitely not a gifted writer. Writing for me is very hard work. To get something in print takes many revisions, much counsel from my dear wife Anna, and refining my thinking through teaching, listening to feedback from my students, research, experience, consulting, and making sure that whatever I write makes sense and is easy to understand.
6. Is there a favorite quote or passage you want to showcase from the book?
Dr. Amy Edmondson, Harvard Professor and best selling author on creating psychologically safe work environments, wrote in her endorsement for the book:
“Don Warrick and his co-authors’ extraordinary collection of case studies, written by leading researchers and educators around the world, illuminates the leadership mindsets and behaviors that help organizations thrive in a world that has never been more complex and undertain. This book is an invaluable resource for students and leaders.”
7. What new questions for future exploration have you discovered?
There are always new question to be explored in the areas I research and write about such as organization development and change, leadership, and buillding healthy, high performing organizations and cultures. However, I have recently been researching and writing about what organizations can do to prepare for and mange what I am calling Tsunami Change. Tsunami Change is a major disruptive change that has far reaching potential consequences ranging from chaos and despair to growth and hopefulness.
UCCS celebrates faculty and staff who author and edit books each year. In recognition of their achievement, and as part of the UCCS Author Spotlight initiative, authors are invited to submit details on their published works.