Book Description
In the late 1980s, Harley-Davidson beat back an assault by Japanese competitors and engineered a remarkable financial turnaround. But it subsequently faced an even more formidable challenge: maintaining and improving on its success in the absence of an external crisis. To answer this challenge, then-CEO Rich Teerlink, partnering with organizational consultant Lee Ozley, threw out the top-down strategies that had just saved the company and began building a different Harley-one that would be driven not by top management, but by employees at every level. What happened next is the stuff of turnaround legend. More Than a Motorcycle is the story behind the story of the purposeful transformation of an American icon, as told by the two individuals most deeply involved in that decade-long process. The book chronicles the victories and setbacks along Harley's difficult journey from a traditional "command-and-control" culture to an open, participative learning environment. Teerlink and Ozley deliver three fundamental messages: people are a company's only sustainable competitive advantage; there is no "quick fix" to effect lasting, beneficial organizational change; and leadership is not a person, but a process to which everyone must contribute. They provide practical, reality-tested prescriptions for critical tasks like developing employee alignment, building structures that support participation, and implementing effective reward programs. Finally, they draw lessons from the Harley experience-lessons about values, trust, and community-that apply broadly to any business.An against-the-odds story of a business road less traveled, this book encourages today's leaders to look around the next bend-and to give every employee a view of the road from the driver's seat. Rich Teerlink is the retired Chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson, Inc., and speaks internationally to corporate and educational institutions. Lee Ozley is an organizational consultant and coach. Both are Corporate Fellows at Auburn University's Graduate School of Business.


Download Description
More Than a Motorcycle is the story of the purposeful transformation of an American icon. While the business press was celebrating Harley-Davidson's remarkable financial turnaround in the late 1980s, the company's leader, Rich Teerlink, was deeply concerned. He knew that the storied motorcycle maker faced a new and even more formidable challenge: maintaining and improving upon its success in the absence of an external crisis. Partnering with longtime organizational consultant Lee Ozley, Teerlink did something extraordinary: he began building a different Harley. The new Harley would be driven not by its top executives, but by its employees at every level. What happened over the next twelve years is the stuff of turnaround legend. While the media has long celebrated Harley, this candid inside account goes behind the headlines to reveal the highlights and lowlights, the victories and setbacks, and the breakthroughs and dead ends experienced by Teerlink, Ozley, and others as the company engaged in this change effort. Part corporate biography and part memoir of a rare CEO/consultant partnership, the book chronicles Harley's difficult journey from a traditional "command-and-control" culture to an open organization in which employees no longer went along for the ride, but took new levels of responsibility for charting their course.


Book Info
Offers a scientific yet practical guide to developing real change leaders throughout the organization and reinforce the notion that sustaining change requires the engagement of the whole company, not just the senior team.


From the Back Cover
"This honest, detailed, and compelling description of the transformation at Harley-Davidson is a must-read for anyone struggling to accomplish organizational change. Teerlink and Ozley provide valuable lessons on how to work cooperatively with employee representatives, and remind us all of the wisdom of the saying, 'technology makes it possible; people make it happen.'" --Jeffrey Pfeffer, Thomas D. Dee Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Author of The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First "Full of practical insights for management, union leadership, workers, and theorists, More Than a Motorcycle documents how Harley-Davidson recovered from a top-down, confrontational, almost bankrupt company to a more cooperative, people-driven industry leader. Teerlink and Ozley objectively present all the spurts, near disasters, wrinkles, and warts of a real turnaround, all the time linking the company's practical actions to many of the most advanced management theories of the time. This book is a rare gem that will stand the test of time, future practice, and theory." --James Brian Quinn, Professor of Management, Emeritus, Amos Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, and Author of Intelligent Enterprise and Innovation Explosion "More Than a Motorcycle captures the essence of the paradox at the heart of leading change: you must motivate people to demand what, in their minds, they really don't want. A powerful insight very well delivered." -Watts Wacker, Chairman, First Matter Inc., and Coauthor of The Visionary's Handbook "A wonderfully educational and well-told story about the transformation of an American icon. More Than a Motorcycle is a must-read for anyone interested in effective organizational change." -Edward E. Lawler III, Director, Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California "This unique book is surely one of the best I have read on leadership and management. It is inspirational and authentic. Only those with a high view of competence and commitment and a genuine respect for people could have written this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it." --Max De Pree, Author of Leadership Jazz and Leading without Power "Finally, a book that tells the truth about organizational change! This rich saga relays the fears, the mistakes, the partnerships, and the successes that show how change really happens. What glistens through is the true journey and its demands on us: humility, learning, community, love, and inclusion of others. I thank Rich and Lee for writing this book and applaud their courage in doing so. They respected us enough to give us the straight story." -Margaret J. Wheatley, Author of Leadership and the New Science, and Coauthor of A Simpler Way


About the Author
Rich Teerlink is the retired Chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson, Inc. Since retirement, he has been speaking internationally to corporations, industry organizations, and educational institutions. Lee Ozley is an organizational consultant and coach, whose clients have included Cummins Engine Company, National Steel, Air Canada, Lockheed Martin, and others. Both Teerlink and Ozley are Corporate Fellows at Auburn University's Graduate School of Business.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

More Than a Motorcycle is the story behind the story of the purposeful transformation of an American icon, as told by the two individuals most deeply involved in that decade-long process. The book chronicles the victories and setbacks along Harley's difficult journey from a traditional "command-and-control" culture to an open, participative learning environment. Teerlink and Ozley deliver three fundamental messages: people are a company's only sustainable competitive advantage; there is no "quick fix" to effect lasting, beneficial organizational change; and leadership is not a person, but a process to which everyone must contribute.

SYNOPSIS

The Story behind the Story of One of America's Most Beloved Brands Harley-Davidson's Unlikely People-Based Transformation

While the business press was celebrating Harley-Davidson's remarkable financial turnaround in the late 1980s, the company's leader, Rich Teerlink, was deeply concerned. He knew that the storied motorcycle maker-flush from having beaten back an assault by skilled and determined Japanese competitors-now faced a new and even more formidable challenge: maintaining and improving upon its success in the absence of an external crisis. Partnering with longtime organizational consultant Lee Ozley, Teerlink did something extraordinary: he moved beyond the top-down strategies that had just saved the company from extinction and began building a different Harley. The new Harley would be driven not by its top executives, but by its employees at every level. What happened over the next twelve years is the stuff of turnaround legend.

More Than a Motorcycle is the story behind the story of the purposeful transformation of an American icon-as told by the two individuals who were most deeply involved in that process. While marketers and the media alike have long celebrated Harley, this candid inside account goes behind the headlines to reveal the highlights and lowlights, the victories and setbacks, and the breakthroughs and dead ends experienced by Teerlink, Ozley, and others as the company engaged in this transformational change effort. Part corporate biography and part memoir of a rare CEO/consultant partnership, the book chronicles Harley's difficult journey from a traditional "command-and-control" culture to an open, participative organization in which employees no longer went along for the ride, but took new levels of responsibility for charting their course.

Teerlink and Ozley deliver three fundamental messages: that people are a company's only sustainable competitive advantage; that there is no "quick fix" to effect lasting and beneficial organizational change; and that leadership is not a person, but a process, to which every employee must contribute. They advocate for a new concept of leadership, which entails not demanding compliance, but earning commitment. They provide practical, reality-based prescriptions for developing employee alignment and effectiveness; lifelong learning opportunities; structures that support participation; and effective approaches to rewards, recognition, and meaningful communication. The authors also distill lessons from the Harley experience-such as living one's values and cultivating an environment within which all kinds of people can thrive-that may apply broadly to any business.

An inspiring, against-the-odds story of a business road less traveled, More Than a Motorcycle encourages today's organizational leaders to look around the next bend-and to give everyone within the organization a view of the road from the driver's seat.

FROM THE CRITICS

Jeffrey Pfeffer - Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and Author of The Human Equation: Building Profits by Putting People First

This honest, detailed, and compelling description of the transformation at Harley-Davidson is a must-read for anyone struggling to accomplish organizational change. Teerlink and Ozley provide valuable lessons on how to work cooperatively with employee representatives, and remind us all of the wisdom of the saying, 'technology makes it possible; people make it happen.'

James Brian Quinn - Professor of Management, Emeritus, Amos Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College, and Author of Intelligent Enterprise and Innovation Explosion

Full of practical insights for management, union leadership, workers, and theorists, More Than a Motorcycle documents how Harley-Davidson recovered from a top-down, confrontational, almost bankrupt company to a more cooperative, people-driven industry leader. Teerlink and Ozley objectively present all the spurts, near disasters, wrinkles, and warts of a real turnaround, all the time linking the company's practical actions to many of the most advanced management theories of the time. This book is a rare gem that will stand the test of time, future practice, and theory."

Edward E. Lawler - Director, Center for Effective Organizations, University of Southern California

A wonderfully educational and well-told story about the transformation of an American icon. More Than a Motorcycle is a must-read for anyone interested in effective organizational change.

Max De Pree - author of Leadership Jazz and Leading without Power

This unique book is surely one of the best I have read on leadership and management. It is inspirational and authentic. Only those with a high view of competence and commitment and a genuine respect for people could have written this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Margaret J. Wheatley

Finally, a book that tells the truth about organizational change! This rich saga relays the fears, the mistakes, the partnerships, and the successes that show how change really happens. What glistens through is the true journey and its demands on us: humility, learning, community, love, and inclusion of others. I thank Rich and Lee for writing this book and applaud their courage in doing so. They respected us enough to give us the straight story.author of Leadership and the New Science, and coauthor of A Simpler Way