Lo and Behold, X! - Books 1 to 5: The Tale of Nate
Lo and Behold, X! - Books 1 to 5: The Tale of Nate
About the Bundle
This is one of those series of books that I wish that I could use a time machine to go back in time and give myself before entering the world of Lean, Agile, continuous improvement and change management.
The "Lo and Behold, X!" saga consists of 5 books that tell the story of Nate. Nathaniel Lee Abel is a young scholar who discovers a compendium of articles on the body of knowledge of X: a mysterious set of principles, practices and tools that well-meaning, passionate experts promise can be used to transform any kind of kingdom of enterprise (i.e., corporation) with.
As Nate ploughs through a series of X pilot projects, X PMOs, X initiatives, Global X Management departments, X conferences, and other forms of establishing X across all realms within the opulent kingdom of Obratheria, like a Luke Skywalker he relies again and again on the Yoda-like (or Daniel/Miyagi, if you prefer) guidance of the venerable Robert McBarkle the Fourth, a retired titan of leading business and change, to overcome a series of mounting obstacles and machinations--an increasing number of which are a result of the Machiavellian Lord Richard von Kopf, who sees X as the last opportunity to enrich his legacy within the kingdom's annals before he retires.
Personalities and aspirations collide, as do the various approaches and attempts at figuring out the next step in the ever-elusive "X transformation" of the kingdom according to what the consultants and business periodicals simulacra foretold in their prophecies.
With an expansive cast of interacting characters based on Jungian archetypes and a comprehensive set of situations that many larger organizations face while trying to get Lean, Agile or any other change-heavy set of ideas to stick, this is a series of books that make you smarter about a) the politics and agency issues within successful organizations that seek the latest shiny object in management, and b) the clashing psychopathologies of those who promote, detract from, or endure attempts to change how things get done on a foundational level.
If you liked business novels such as The Goal, The Incredible Story of Deft, The Phoenix Project, The Goldmine and The Lean Manager, and have a deep interest in avoiding political pitfalls as you go from an enthusiastic beginner to a manager of strategic initiatives and the teams that develop and manage them, I am pretty sure that you will enjoy this series too. Same goes if you have the authority to introduce any X in your organization with the help of people like Nate.
If you have read the 2nd edition of "The Incredible Story of Deft", here you will also discover the origin story of Jobelina "Lina" Theemaux, the trainer who delivers the workshop on avoiding pitfalls of business hype surrounding what I call "Deft", i.e. any fad-du-jour, buzzword-laden and "miracle cure" that is supposed to solve any and all business problems.
About the Books
Lo and Behold, X! — Denizens of the Ivory Fortress
Book 1 of a Business Fable of Change and Intrigue
A young and impressionable scholar stumbles upon a hallowed anthology of articles describing "X"—a fabulous set of ideas, an array of tenets, a set of methodologies, a cornucopia of tools, a strategy, nay, a veritable model of enterprise and leadership that has the potential to change the world of organizations.
From deep within the bowels of the capital of a prestigious kingdom of enterprise, Nathaniel Lee Abel, aka "Nate," embarks into an ambitious crusade of vocal persuasion and hands-on impact. The journey of Nate and his team of X acolytes is strewn with great ideas and occassional missteps, unfolding in bursts of progress and in the face of mounting setbacks, as Nate relies on the mischievous, good-natured guidance of the wise Master Robert Daniel McBarkle the Fourth (aka "Bob") and the wavering aegis of the cunning Lord Baron Richard von Kopf. These towering figures of the kingdom's past and present wage a battle over the kingdom's future through Nate, and under the watchful eye of King Augustus Giles.
Will Nate manage to transform the kingdom with X? And what will he learn in the process, about X, the nature of kingdoms, the follies of enterprise, and himself?
❇️❇️❇️
While reading this novel, you might sympathize with Nate and his team, or even with Damon; you might wish you had a Bob or two in your life; you might recoil at the idea of working under the aegis of a Richard von Kopf; you might have had the pleasure of working at a place led by an Augustus Giles. Any, some, or all of those characters, their thoughts and words, the situations they find themselves in, and the opinions or views they express, might ring a bell.
Alas, it will have merely been a coincidence. While this novel represents an tongue-in-cheek exploration of the periodic waxing and waning of fads within organizations and across entire industries, sometimes even across the entire business world, and the political ramifications encountered by well-meaning professionals who want to bring any given "X" into their organization, it remains entirely fictional.
In fact, this book is heavily inspired by the torrent of nonsense spread on LinkedIn, such as the breathless hype about any given X, the countless "X is dead" posts, the "my X is better than your X" comments, the "this is not true X, true X is what Waseigo does", etc.
Still, for the maximum enjoyment and learning impact, an imaginative extrapolation of the story onto your own work experiences, should, ideally, be attempted.
1 reader testimonial
Lo and Behold, X! — Growing, Pains, and Awareness
Book 2 of a Business Fable of Change and Intrigue
The story of Book 1 of the "Lo and Behold, X!" saga of The Tale of Nate continues. Nathaniel's endeavor to transform the kingdom of Obratheria with X continues to grow, causing growing pains, and the growing awareness that not all is as easy as reason and rationality would have you believe.
A young and impressionable scholar stumbles upon a hallowed anthology of articles describing "X"—a fabulous set of ideas, an array of tenets, a set of methodologies, a cornucopia of tools, a strategy, nay, a veritable model of enterprise and leadership that has the potential to change the world of organizations.
From deep within the bowels of the capital of a prestigious kingdom of enterprise, Nathaniel Lee Abel, aka "Nate," embarks into an ambitious crusade of vocal persuasion and hands-on impact. The journey of Nate and his team of X acolytes is strewn with great ideas and occassional missteps, unfolding in bursts of progress and in the face of mounting setbacks, as Nate relies on the mischievous, good-natured guidance of the wise Master Robert McBarkle the Fourth (aka "Bob") and the wavering aegis of the cunning Lord Baron Richard von Kopf. These towering figures of the kingdom's past and present wage a battle over the kingdom's future through Nate, and under the watchful eye of King Augustus Giles.
Will Nate manage to transform the kingdom with X? And what will he learn in the process, about X, the nature of kingdoms, the follies of enterprise, and himself?
1 reader testimonial
Lo and Behold, X! — Doldrums and Machinations
Book 3 of a Business Fable of Change and Intrigue
The story of Book 2 of the "Lo and Behold, X!" saga of The Tale of Nate continues. Nathaniel finds himself in the doldrums of his endeavor to transform the kingdom of Obratheria with X, and at the whims of the capital's machinations, as he struggles to rejuvenate his X initiative in fits and starts, while searching inwardly for the meaning of the entire endeavor for himself, his team, and for the kingdom.
Will Nate manage to transform the kingdom with X? And what will he learn in the process, about X, the nature of kingdoms, the follies of enterprise, and himself?
1 reader testimonial
Lo and Behold, X! — Bifurcation and Deliverance
Book 4 of a Business Fable of Change and Intrigue
The story of Book 3 of the "Lo and Behold, X!" saga of The Tale of Nate continues. Nathaniel realizes his standing within the kingdom of Obratheria, and beyond. Playing his cards right, he deftly navigates the predicament in which he finds himself, caused by the Lord Baron who used to be his sponsor.
Will Nate manage to transform the kingdom with X? And what will he learn in the process, about X, the nature of kingdoms, the follies of enterprise, and himself?
Lo and Behold, X! — Above, Beyond, and Far Away
Book 5 of a Business Fable of Change and Intrigue
The story of Book 4 of the "Lo and Behold, X!" saga of The Tale of Nate continues. Nathaniel confronts his nemesis head-on and engages in a battle of wits. The kingdom routes around Nathaniel's rebuke of the path chosen for him and scrambles to control the damage. A new figure picks up the mantle of X leadership within Obratheria, while the Lord Baron Richard von Kopf and his "partners in crime" deal with the consequences of their actions.
Will Nate finally manage to transform the kingdom with X? And what will he learn in the process, about X, the nature of kingdoms, the follies of enterprise, and himself?
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