Maybe the reason so many well-intentioned management initiatives fall short is because typical "best practice" methods only help managers avoid failure, rather than produce genuinely spectacular results. Jane Linder proposes a new way of managing. Based on her study of more than 40 wildly successful projects, she has identified five characteristics that fly in the face of conventional practice:

• Make Space – Allow the project to grow and develop in unpredictable ways.
• Get it Right – Insist on finding the right answers to the toughest questions.
• Make a Difference – Reach beyond your grasp to accomplish the impossible.
• Energize People – Create an emotional environment filled with challenge.
• Spiral Up – Don’t stop with a single achievement; use it as a step to greater success.

From developing a virtual reality simulator for underwater mining equipment to saving an Ohio oil refinery from closure, Spiral Up presents accounts of everyday project champions who have produced breathtaking results . . . and shows readers how to do the same.