The Octopus Organization

“The book is designed to be used, not just read. QR codes at the end of each chapter link to resources that encourage readers to explore ideas and share insights with colleagues. For leaders and organisations tired of transformations that promise change but deliver little, The Octopus Organization makes a compelling case for learning to thrive by behaving less like a machine and more like a living system.” — Financial Times

“Le-Brun and Werner, executives at Amazon Web Services, debut with a smart guide to building nimble companies.” — Publisher’s Weekly

Advance Praise for The Octopus Organization:

“A refreshingly practical and insightful guide full of wit, wisdom, and proven strategies to elevate team performance at any scale.” — Deb Hall Lefevre, Executive Vice President and CTO, Starbucks

“In authors Phil Le-Brun and Jana Werner’s telling, the remarkably adaptable octopus provides an apt metaphor for organizations that embody the virtuous cycle of clarity, ownership, and curiosity that drive future success. A must-read for any aspiring leader.” — Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, Harvard Business School

“The Octopus Organization clearly lays out the fundamental shifts businesses must make to create enduring value. Its practical ideas are crucial for any leader guiding their organization toward a resilient future.” — Indra Nooyi, former Chair and CEO, PepsiCo; Member of the Board, Amazon

“Technology is the easy part; it’s the organizational behaviors Le-Brun and Werner brilliantly expose that doom most transformations. Their thirty-six antipatterns perfectly capture why companies stay trapped in rigid structures, and their practical solutions show leaders how to build the adaptive, curious organizations that actually make transformation possible.” — Rick Clark, Global Head of Cloud Advisory, UST Technology; cofounder, OpenStack; former Senior Vice President, Mastercard

“This is the only book you need to be able to lead in a digital world. Jana Werner and Phil Le-Brun have identified the critical challenges, exposed them, and clearly and compellingly articulated solutions that immediately feel right to anyone who has struggled to find them.” — Mark Schwartz, Enterprise Strategies, Amazon Web Services; former CIO, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)

Phil Le-Brun is an enterprise strategist at Amazon Web Services and a former corporate VP and international CIO at McDonald’s Corporation. At McDonald’s he co-led the consolidation and modernization of technology across thirty-eight thousand restaurants globally. In his current role, Phil engages with Fortune 500 executives and their teams and with public-sector customers to mentor, advise, and guide them on their journeys to become more adaptable organisations. He is a sought-after speaker and has been featured in Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian.

Jana Werner is an enterprise strategist at Amazon Web Services, where she guides the executive teams of Fortune 500 companies in building adaptive customer-centric organizations. Her insights are forged from a career at the intersection of business strategy and technology: leading major digital transformations in financial services, guiding and scaling tech startups to growth and acquisition, and advising on complex global change at DHL. Her academic background in uncertainty dynamics grounds her practical advice for leaders navigating complex environments and building resilient organisations.

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