Leading the Global Matrix by John Futterknecht and Marty Seldman

John Futterknecht and Marty Seldman recognize the shifts in terrain. The matrix method of organizing corporate structures is fast replacing the traditional hierarchal method of building corporate structures with a design emphasizing synergy and collaborative energy over the customary autonomy granted to individual components of a business structure. The two authors develop a template for how to best transition your corporate structure over to the matrix style during the course of Leading the Global Matrix: Proven Skills & Strategies to Succeed in a Collaborative World’s ten chapters. 

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One aspect some readers may struggle with is the lack of secondary sources supporting their views. It is a relatively new method still and thus there isn’t a wealth of academically themed writing on the subject, but Futterknecht and Seldman force by necessity into largely relying on their individual professional experiences and the conclusions they’ve drawn to build an argument for the matrix style of organizational structure. They do reference secondary materials, but many readers will find the text lacking because of the sheer dearth of secondary materials supporting their point of view. 

They nonetheless present their ideas in a stylish and intelligent manner. No reasonable reader can conclude a pass through this text and say Futterknecht and Seldman gloss over important points. They grapple with this complex topic in such an effective way it yields many riches for the reader in far less than three hundred pages and it’s a testament to how clearly they have thought out the subject and their talents for encapsulating it in few words. There are no sideshows. 

One of the book’s strongest attributes is its construction. It is clear there is a certain amount of evangelical fervor in the way they promote the matrix design for corporate organization, but they buttress their arguments with solid and accessible reasons. Futterknecht and Seldman, in the end, come across as co-authors truly invested in their readers profiting from their instruction rather than personal glory.   

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The book has a certain shapeliness to it. Seldman and Futterknecht instinctively understand how to structure their book around a central thesis and set about proving it with the sort of intellectual and artistic control we associate with veteran artists. The same logical step by step approach they advocate for adopting the matrix method shapes how Seldman and Futterknecht construct this book. 

It helps make Leading the Global Matrix: Proven Skills & Strategies to Succeed in a Collaborative World one of the more memorable exponents of its school of thought and ensures it holds up under repeated readings. John Futterknecht and Marty Seldman share congruent professional experiences and, coupled, they bring an authoritative voice to this book that readers ignore at their own peril. Cut through its limitations instead and you will discover a text that is trying to break new ground. Futterknecht and Seldman alike accept that the way of doing business in in the midst of great revision and they’ve put a great deal of time into understanding the essence of that transformation and what it means to you.

Nicole Killian