Liftoff

Ready, set, liftoff! Align your team to one purpose: successful delivery. Learn new insights and techniques for starting projects and teams the right way, with expanded concepts for planning, organizing, and conducting liftoff meetings. Real-life stories illustrate how others have effectively started (or restarted) their teams and projects. Master coaches Diana Larsen and Ainsley Nies have successfully "lifted off" numerous agile projects worldwide. Are you ready for success? Every team needs a great start. If you're a business or product leader, team coach or agile practice lead, project or program manager, you'll gain strategic and tactical benefits from liftoffs. Discover new step-by-step instructions and techniques for boosting team performance in this second edition of Liftoft. Concrete examples from our practices show you how to get everyone on the same page from the start as you form the team. You'll find pointers for refocusing an effort that's gone off in the weeds, and practices for working with teams as complex systems. See how to scale liftoffs for multiple teams across the enterprise, address the three key elements for collaborative team chartering, establish the optimal conditions for learning and improvement, and apply the GEFN (Good Enough for Now) rule for efficient liftoffs. Throughout the book are stories from real-life teams lifting off, as seasoned coaches describe their experiences with liftoffs and agile team chartering. Focused conversations help the team align, form, and build enough trust for collaborating. You'll build a common understanding of the teams' context within business goals. Every liftoff is unique, but success is common!

Liftoff-it's the unexplored, often ignored, Agile project practice. As the first act of flight, a rocket launch requires an entire set of systems to lift the vehicle into orbit-not just the vehicle itself, but all the systems needed for smoothly moving off the ground into space. Likewise, your project needs its entire set of supporting systems in place to begin a successful journey to delivery. Whatever you call it (project kickoff, bootcamp, inception, or jump start), liftoff gives your team its trajectory, and launches your project. This critical practice informs, inspires, and aligns everyone to a singular purpose: the successful delivery of software. This success is in your hands! Agile veterans Diana Larsen and Ainsley Nies teach you how to organize and conduct liftoffs, hold team activities to discover what's most important, and offer a working framework for effective and lightweight agile chartering.

Liftoff! is your guide to leveling up as a design manager and leader. Its experience-driven approach--written by designers for designers--will help you hire and scale teams, develop careers, learn why diversity matters to your business, and solidify design's role in your organization. Liftoff! will elevate your skills to lead your team and company to new heights.

Explore LEGO(R) City! LEGO(R) City goes into Space!

Find out what it takes to become an astronaut--from someone who knows!

The space shuttle commander delivers “a great read, shares important elements of the modern ‘Right Stuff,’ and will benefit those aspiring to lead” (Hon. Buzz Aldrin, Colonel, USAF retired, Astronaut). As a leader in the dynamic, stressful, and sometimes dangerous endeavor of human space exploration, Astronaut Rick Searfoss has had many unique experiences. However, the success principles he applied in commanding the most complex and successful human space research mission ever are universal. They apply to any venture. Liftoff shares the keen insights of an astronaut commander leading the way. It will enable you to: Employ a proven, balanced-leadership model in support of a greater purpose Drive stellar operational results with a comprehensive, objective-centric execution system Apply a countdown of twelve purposeful performance principles for outstanding outcomes Strengthen your ability to lead and perform at the front lines to achieve mission success The author also shares a myriad of thrilling, inspiring, and relevant stories, told from the extraordinary perspective of one of a mere handful of humans who’ve ever been in space. Should you launch your leadership to the highest level possible? Absolutely, so let’s “light this candle” and lift off to success! “His unique perspective on leadership in action will help you achieve ‘execution excellence’ no matter what task you are undertaking. Read this out-of-this-world book and become a more successful leader here on earth!” —Ken Blanchard, #1 New York Times–bestselling coauthor of The New One Minute Manager® “Powerfully shows how trust and purpose amplify effective leadership in the most dynamic of situations.” —Stephen M.R. Covey, New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal–bestselling author of The Speed of Trust

In 1999, Betty Shotton stood on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and watched her company go public. After witnessing the negative consequences of the ensuing transition from purpose driven to profit driven, Shotton set out to change the way we define leadership success. Today, with over 35 years as a CEO and Entrepreneur, Shotton passionately advocates a business model that integrates profitability into a larger context of meaningful contribution to the quality of life affected by what we do and who we are as leaders. In Liftoff Leadership,Shotton charts a new course, beginning with an examination of leadership character. With engaging insights into today’s business climate, Liftoff takes readers on an exploration of their unique leadership style: Who am I as a leader? What are my best attributes and guiding principles?How can I make a difference? Calling for a return to leadership traits that have defined history’s most exceptional leaders, Shotton takes us on a journey into ourselves and gives us tools to examine our own unique attributes.