Introduction

Part I Predictable Patterns

Chapter 1 Patterns from the Past

Chapter 2 On the Importance of “If” versus “When”

Chapter 3 Personal Patterns

Chapter 4 Expanding Peripheral Vision

Part II Principles of Provocation

Chapter 5 Birth of a Provocation

Chapter 6 Envision: Seeing the Future

Chapter 7 Position: Preparing for the Change

Chapter 8 Drive and Adapt: Taking Control

Chapter 9 Activate: Harnessing Your Ecosystem

Part III Profiles of Provocateurs

Chapter 10 Deborah Bial

Chapter 11 Ryan Gravel

Chapter 12 Valerie Irick Rainford

Conclusion: Minimally Viable Thoughts

Notes

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

Index

PROVOKE shows leaders how they must be purposeful in shaping the future—intentionally engaging with emerging trends not only to benefit their own organization, but also to make the world a better place. The stories of purposeful provocateurs like Valerie Rainford, Debbie Bial and Ryan Gravel will inspire you to create a future that works for all of us.”
—THASUNDA BROWN DUCKETT, President and CEO of TIAA

“Too often we think more data and analysis will make our next move clear. Tuff and Goldbach’s core premise of how to act in the ‘if-to-when’ shift when new trends emerge should be required reading for all leaders facing uncertainty.”
—JOHN STRATTON, Executive Chairman, Frontier Communications, Board member at General Dynamics Corp. and Abbott Laboratories

“…an invaluable guide to achieving real change in this complex, data-driven world. The provocateurs they profile prove how much can be accomplished, across a wide range of endeavors.”
—MICHAEL AINSLIE, author of A Nose for Trouble, Chair Emeritus of Posse Foundation and former CEO of Sotheby’s

“Read this book to find out how human instincts hold us back and how to address problems head on. PROVOKE offers prescient advice, case studies and models to help leaders looking to disrupt longstanding biases that get in the way of organizational transformation. The authors make it clear that diversity cannot be an afterthought; it’s a fundamental imperative for every organization.”
—TARANG AMIN, Chairman and CEO of e.l.f. Beauty Inc.

“The difference between success and failure can hinge on recognizing and overcoming the ‘blind’ spots that shape our behavior. Goldbach and Tuff remind us that a bias to act—a willingness to DO SOMETHING to initiate the change we’d like to see—is the most important move we can make.”
—MONIQUE NELSON, CEO of UniWorld Group

Navigating uncertainty is critical for any aspiring leader. But different kinds of uncertainty require different actions: there is a big difference between considering if something is going to happen and when something is going to happen. Anticipating the “phase change” when an if becomes a when can create huge opportunities for leaders who act. Unfortunately, humans are naturally wired to “wait-and-see” when the path forward is not clear.

In Provoke: How Leaders Shape the Future by Overcoming Fatal Human Flaws, renowned consultants and strategists Geoff Tuff and Steven Goldbach deliver a compelling argument that “wait-and-see” is the worst thing we can do in a world of accelerating change.

Working at the intersection of business and behavioral economics, the authors demonstrate why taking action, or “provoking,” reduces uncertainty by providing real-world feedback, enabling confidence to move forward in the absence of precedent.

Readers will discover how individual biases and organizational tendencies conspire to keep teams frozen in inaction. They will also learn that the most effective leaders are provocateurs—they provoke action that disrupts teams, industries, ecosystems and society at large.

Perfect for executives, managers, and other leaders tasked with dealing with uncertainty on a daily basis, Provoke is a road map to overcoming the natural instincts to “wait-and-see” and seizing opportunities which could create a better future.”