The Rudolph Factor

The bestselling author of Catch! shares the innovation secrets that helped Boeing turn itself around from the brink of collapse

The Rudolph Factor tells the story of Boeing's spectacular turnaround through a discussion of principles and qualities that are transferable and replicable to any size or type of organization in any industry. Authors Cyndi Laurin and Craig Morningstar use the story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as an analogy to explore a corporate culture that managed to avoid disaster through progressive leadership; a highly participatory team-based culture; the development of an organizational constitution; and an alternative, aligned employee rewards structure. Using real-world lessons from Boeing's inspiring story, The Rudolph Factor shows companies how to nurture a culture centered around their "Rudolphs"–those out-of-the-box, creative employees who can serve as shining lights to lead organizations in accomplishing their goals. Applicable to anyone who runs a business of any size, this book shows readers how to find, nurture, and leverage the creativity of its employees to achieve a long-term competitive advantage.

Acknowledgments ix

Foreword E. David Spong xi

Foreword David M. Bowman xv

Preface xix

CHAPTER 1 The Prevailing Form of Business Cultures 1

CHAPTER 2 The Boeing Company and the Impetus for a Cultural Revolution 25

CHAPTER 3 Why Rudolph, You Ask? 41

CHAPTER 4 Nurturing Rudolphs to Maximize Their Innovative Contributions 59

CHAPTER 5 Establishing a Team-Based Rudolph Culture 77

CHAPTER 6 Redefining Leadership 107

CHAPTER 7 Developing a Corporate Constitution 121

CHAPTER 8 Creating an Alternative and Aligned Reward Structure 143

Epilogue Go Forth—Awaken the Rudolph Within 161

Resources 167

Index 169

About the Authors 181

Cyndi Laurin, PhD, is an author, international keynote speaker, and founder of Guide to Greatness, LLC. She specializes in process improvement and performance man-agement. She is also the bestselling author of Catch!

Craig Morningstar is an experienced senior-level executive whose background includes positions at Southwest Airlines and Charles Schwab. He is also an entrepreneur who has founded, operated, and sold several companies.

PRAISE FOR The Rudolph Factor

"Whether you're just starting a business or are a seasoned veteran, The Rudolph Factor provides the guiding light for continuously stimulating innovation.People are the key, and this is just the recipe for waking up the creative power within!"
—FRANK J. GRIMMELMANN, Chairman, TGG Holdings

"An insightful approach to unleashing the creativity residing in a diverse workforce."
—HARVEY SHREDNICK, former CIO, Corning Incorporated

"A must-have for every executive seeking business and career success."
—LINDA BAUGH, President of the award-winning American Career Executives

"The Rudolph Factor is a guide for companies seeking success in an innovative age."
—JOHN GAUDELLI, Manager of Business Development, Homestore / Move.com

"A book that sets the new standard for creative and innovative thinking."
—DOUG NEWTON, Desert Sage Consulting and member of the Valley Advisory Group

"A must-read for every executive, manager, and employee who seeks innovation and business success, especially in today's challenging business environment."
—MARTIN R. NASON, Partner, B2B CFO, and former senior executive vice president, Vidal Sassoon, Inc.

"It's the operationalizing of the Four Pillars held in The Rudolph Factor that make this writing invaluable to virtually any organization who cares about optimizing the performance of their 'herd.' Cyndi and Craig clearly detail the whys and hows to move your workforce, currently centered around working with the body, to fully engaging their minds and hearts as well. An essential read."
—BRUCE CUMMINGS, VP Human Resources, Guardian Industries