The Fiefdom Syndrome

Praise

“Turf wars and bureaucracy can undermine even the strongest corporate strategies. Drawing on lessons learned throughout his distinguished career, Bob describes innovative and practical ways to tackle this pervasive problem—and beat The Fiefdom Syndrome.”

—Bill Gates, Chairman and Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Corporation


“Bob Herbold’s book identifies the causes, symptoms, and cures of one of the great diseases (scourges) that insidiously destroy large corporations in America (e.g., fiefdoms and bureaucracy).”

—Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO, Bank One Corporation


“I’ve seen Bob successfully tackle business challenges both at Procter and Gamble and at Microsoft. In The Fiefdom Syndrome, he identifies a critical business problem in the corporate world that very few have been able to solve—until now. It should be required reading across corporate America.”

—James I. Cash, Jr., Ph.D., James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration, Harvard University Graduate School of Business


“A vitally important business book. As Bob Herbold, longtime COO of Microsoft makes clear, the battles over territory and turf stem from basic human behavior. Uncontrolled, they can be incredibly destructive, yet they are inherent in every organization. In The Fiefdom Syndrome, Herbold shows how fiefdoms can hamstring a company’s operations, and how to break through them. I strongly urge people of all organizations, large and small, profit and nonprofit, to read this book.”

—John Chambers, President and CEO, Cisco Systems


“Fiefdoms are the enemy of collaboration and external focus. They turn organizations inward and distract companies from customer needs and competitive realities. Bob Herbold gets to the heart of why fiefdoms exist and what leaders can do to overcome them. This is an important book for any leader who is responsible for sustained business growth.”

—A. G. Lafley, Chairman, Chief Executive and President, The Procter & Gamble Co.


“The foundation of a successful organization is a team focused on common goals. With its thorough analysis and practical insights, this book will help you recognize, eliminate, and prevent the cancer of individual agendas.”

—Michael Dell, Chairman, Dell Inc.