Meet Jim Barton, new CEO of Santa Monica Aerospace. Jim's job won't be easy: the company's hemorrhaging cash, struggling to regain investors' trust after an accounting scandal, and striving to transform its military and manufacturing culture to become a global aerospace integrator. Jim isn't real: Harder Than I Thought is a novel. But his story--developed in consultation with seasoned, actual CEOs--contains crucial lessons for all chief executives. Walk in Jim's shoes to engage in challenges that include: 1. Formulating and executing strategy 2. Managing financial and labor crises 3. Fostering a culture of innovation and continuous transformation 4. Forging global partnerships 5. Making ethical choices in an increasingly transparent environment As events in each chapter push Barton to the edge of his abilities, he seeks counsel from a panel of expert advisers. These collaborative reflections invite you to apply the lessons from this story to your own situation. Experts agree that many twentieth-century leadership practices are inadequate to the stormy twenty-first-century present. This engaging and provocative book equips you with the insights you'll need to rise with the occasion of a rapidly shifting business landscape.