%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 17 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 15 0 R /GS2 16 0 R /GS3 19 0 R /GS4 20 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250809215534+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250809215534+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2868 >> stream xYr+zER%ax9+I8r#gd,@h @݀h3LUfO͹ E{*)++K$sm_AS/nl؋4˂YE޼(BX1c<<.۷wܱ_]?_lDa|3AYs\ά:؆k}=NB,Go~" bNi0Yş*}ly'l6cER.E vSþb09d[sN˜&XaKk[S[lS6!UCF/(Ȉ|Qh97|ua#YG[+a{ps~|]ܽg1  lǯHHzMN04^j5߂yYΒs9`.|r]7[fD2B?c-ja?إ<&9U6k"σ|>;b{%E>r`FݭV`3{k]%Ƃؙ}dBZQZ ە}v}qi'Q2d];` ًrij[ Y<*02*;]B˒d؊?+b,<߿9/5f@^-lS+ڽ0)d_gd֟Ҭ86R.w6ּa6.ޫIJg'<η(Of?.ij&70 ҂&x'/QX%ܷ/S's j&~!Z\YJ;aP=i F41gg,N6 8^l4.<µ \9bҪEpǀyF = JuAXСJu^Όm?j4v}>V2o6hSDi=}/X>K͑LQ<M 8Ow=fJ/ٙA43:0f`aY ۑ-Q8PQb' ؏|y9G委ymM-PBȘ'kT^tDkAl][r}@ πY${~Һ :XNȶWziöj D\kcRe[+[z+NAyb6 OkeV `iwV ю%0]64Ɉv ]p @i.c= 1NzZt1e*KgIN9³_i!&?jcu/`#+@HnjdiL3cO[@k;y) w ߬7nnOs 餖u%d([ml ?}@(#{i( G%T1e`n i48 'Q-8:d@ي. t\  8nQ#=&{<08'@t[۟1AF̷<9F4g;%e\*N52Xgl|%/rrzZpC%N83u3 <8N5쉽캱jNJ>31ͶO'E*=Z!4c(=3BMbfm9?'Y+LvGJЂ1Xz tQm9:tKճ-SF@jՐdhMeS]Cmd5٧#?{|ĀkQB&WaWYOW#v ?޼U2 Ye,-TSd iԑfe<>/?n̎NU4 ͛Z?O ЫG0(l+nEiWL hnL> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 18 0 R >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 266 >> stream x1O0ac;SHP!Ә$(1+*CWdK{0" tޒ~A)vur]"GA9Q@Y!(G <]l7ك|kFhgbڡFeMoQ6;}i3-n`sF'DA :[SBQ";q}JG ^(ɴCYαebRE%VEFZb߇X,[;W1$.ˮ]yʗPB.o endstream endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj xref 0 21 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000401 00000 n 0000000430 00000 n 0000000579 00000 n 0000000682 00000 n 0000003623 00000 n 0000003730 00000 n 0000003838 00000 n 0000003948 00000 n 0000004061 00000 n 0000004177 00000 n 0000004206 00000 n 0000004316 00000 n 0000004375 00000 n 0000004434 00000 n 0000004539 00000 n 0000004878 00000 n 0000004935 00000 n trailer << /Size 21 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[] >> startxref 4992 %%EOF "THE MOST EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION IN THE U.S." | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

“THE MOST EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION IN THE U.S.”

October 18, 2001
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

Watson writes on Salvation Army

BY ROBERT DOCTER – 

To be frank, I had considerable resistance to reviewing this book at all. I thought the title would be perceived as highly self-serving. Then I started reading it. I was clearly wrong.

The Most Effective Organization in the U.S. — Leadership Secrets of the Salvation Army is a “must read” book by everyone seeking to gain insight into “America’s favorite charity.” That includes many who might believe they understand it already.

Written by former National Commander Commissioner Robert A. Watson and Ben Brown and published by Crown Business Books, the book has already attracted considerable attention with extensive pre-publication sales. It is extremely well written with illustrations of organizational principles used by the Army and drawn from both history and present day.

It’s not afraid to be presumptuous and audacious. It seeks to explain why organizational guru Dr. Peter Drucker might have described the Army in a Forbes magazine article as “the most effective organization in the United States” — the quote from which the book’s title grows. The opening sentence of the book states: “We want this to be one of the most important books you’ll ever read. It’s about the meaning of life.”

The chapter headings lead one to believe it is an organizational textbook. It is much more. It examines the “holistic ministry” of the Army — this double mission of obedience to Christ’s great commission as well as his charge to rescue the “least among us.” The “big idea” of the book then, is to “engage the spirit.” The Army, as it works with those from whom spirit has been drained, recognizes the power of non-discriminating inclusiveness as it facilitates a spiritual change within people that moves them from despair to hope and salvation.

Once the spirit becomes engaged, organizations need to address a series of sub-principles.

 



Commissioner
Robert Watson

Among these principles — “Put people in your purpose” reveals the strong commitment of the Army to meeting human need. It also explores how people grow when trusted with responsibility. “Embody the brand” talks about the value of maintaining a core ideology in such a way that the public can assess your work and hold you accountable. “Lead by listening” implies a genuine relationship between people where one “listens to learn and commits to act.” It urges organizations and individuals to know their “inviolate principles” and to examine how and what they are doing reflects those principles.

The principle of “spreading responsibility” opens creativity in significant ways. It “sucks the air out of traditional hierarchies and demystifies leadership.” In trying to cope with rapid change, the Army has sought to “organize to improvise” and found that freewheeling improvisation with deliberate comprehensiveness can be designed to insure effectiveness.

As an example of the importance of “acting with audacity” Watson reveals some dramatic and costly course changes taken by the Army. One such change was the abandonment of the Farm Colony model of treating the urban poor. The Army shifted its policies 180 degrees and recognized that poverty in urban settings could not be remedied by seeking escape to the country. The final principle states that “joy is contagious.” We instinctively move toward people, places and things that warm our hearts.

Watson draws on innumerable illustrations — many of which come from well-known people and programs of the Western Territory.

To Order

Books will be on sale November 6, 2001. Copies may be reserved in advance at your local bookstore or you may order online through any bookseller; books will be shipped after November 6.

The full retail price is $25.00 and the ISBN is 0-609-60869-X.

All author royalties are being donated to The Salvation Army.

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like