Tuesday, July 31, 2001

By Chris W. Rogers, student worker

WILMINGTON, NC - For the busy manager who dreams of being a visionary leader, Dr. Stephen C. Harper’s latest book, The Forward-Focused Organization: Visionary Thinking and Breakthrough Leadership to Create Your Company’s Future, provides the tools in an easy to read format.

This book describes how people need to change themselves so they can become visionary leaders. “It encourages you to seize immediate challenges and take the initiative in creating your company’s future”, Harper says. It explains in a straightforward manner how to incorporate the different areas of leading organizational change and emphasizes the need for people to explore new ideas and new approaches.

Harper explains that leaders and employees have important roles in creating a positive future for their company and by embracing “breakthrough” change, they increase the likelihood of success within their company.

Also included in the book are 100 insights on ways leaders frequently self-destruct and businesses drive away their customers. In planning, Harper says leaders often fail to stay abreast of technological developments in their fields. He also notes that leaders should not expect change initiatives to be easy and for everything to go as planned. He weaves ideas from innovative thinkers with his own original, practical approach to change management, calling for creative thinking and breakthrough leadership.

Harper is the author of several books, including the McGraw-Hill Guide to Starting Your Own Business. Harper is a professor of management at University of North Carolina at Wilmington Cameron School of Business. He is currently working on his fifth book.

This book is in hardcover for $27.95 and will be available through the publisher Amacom and also can be found at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and the UNCW bookstore.



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Additional information can be obtained by calling Stephen C. Harper at 910-962-3517. Photo of Harper suitable for printing is available for downloading at www.uncwil.edu/releases/July01/harpers_book.html or www.uncwil.edu/news then click on the link “For the media.”