The Octopus Organization

A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation

De: Phil Le-Brun, Jana Werner

Narrado por: Mike Cooper

Large-scale organizational transformations usually don't work. What originally starts as a way of improving an organization becomes an all-consuming distraction, a value-destroying set of activities that, even as it becomes clear they will fail, must be completed at any cost.

But there is a better way: becoming an Octopus Organization.

The octopus is everything you need your organization to be in these turbulent times: extremely smart, endlessly adaptable, and highly resilient. Its eight arms work beautifully in concert, but crucially, each arm can think for itself if it needs to work independently. Your organization can work as intelligently and as beautifully as these amazing creatures, if you change your operating model.

Authors Phil Le-Brun and Jana Werner, veteran executives and leaders in Amazon Web Services who've worked with hundreds of large firms, show you how to become an Octopus Organization in this hyperpractical manual of best practices from organizations that have left behind the old, broken model of large-scale change and adopted this modern, nimbler model of small-scale, continuous change.

©2026 Phil Le-Brun and Jana Werner (P)2026 Ascent Audio

A Must-Read for the Age of Continuous Change

This book is a must-read for any organization that wants to stay agile and nimble in the face of constant change. In the age of AI, where disruption is the norm, the insights here couldn't be more timely. What I loved most is how practical it is - the authors walk you through 36 common antipatterns that hold organizations back and provide clear, actionable levers to remedy them. No fluff, no theory for theory's sake - just tools you can apply immediately. I got so much out of this book and found myself dog-earing pages to revisit. Whether you're a leader driving transformation or an individual contributor looking to make an impact, this book gives you a framework for navigating complexity with clarity and confidence. Highly recommend!