--- title: Kotter - The Adaptive Organization Book description: The new book, The Adaptive Organization by Dr. John Kotter offers a research-backed playbook for organizational adaptability. image: https://start.kotterinc.com/hubfs/Adaptive%20Organization%20Book%20Cover.png --- [![Kotter Logo - Primary](https://start.kotterinc.com/hubfs/Kotter%20Logo%20-%20Primary.svg)Homepage](https://www.kotterinc.com/) - [What We Do](https://www.kotterinc.com/what-we-do/) - [Consulting](https://www.kotterinc.com/services/) - [Accelerated Change Roadmap](https://www.kotterinc.com/services/accelerated-change-roadmap/) - [Strategy Execution](https://www.kotterinc.com/services/strategy-execution/) - [Digital Transformation](https://www.kotterinc.com/services/digital-transformation/) - [Mergers + Acquisitions](https://www.kotterinc.com/services/merger-acquisitions/) - [Operational Efficiency](https://www.kotterinc.com/services/operational-efficiency/) - [Culture Change](https://www.kotterinc.com/services/culture-change/) - 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[Methodology](https://www.kotterinc.com/methodology/) - [8 Steps](https://www.kotterinc.com/methodology/8-steps/) - [4 Principles](https://www.kotterinc.com/methodology/the-4-core-change-principles-dr-john-kotter/) - [The Science of Change](https://www.kotterinc.com/methodology/the-science-of-change/) - [Insights](https://www.kotterinc.com/research-insights/) - [Bookshelf](https://www.kotterinc.com/bookshelf/) - [Contact Us](https://www.kotterinc.com/contact-us/) Explore more ![Adaptive Organization Book Cover](https://start.kotterinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Adaptive%20Organization%20Book%20Cover.png?width=440&height=444&name=Adaptive%20Organization%20Book%20Cover.png "Adaptive Organization Book Cover") # THE ADAPTIVE ORGANIZATION ## How to Succeed in an Era of Constant Change #### by John P. Kotter, Gaurav Gupta, Vanessa Akhtar, and Nick Petschek   [Pre-Order Now](https://www.amazon.com/dp/139446794X?utm_campaign=53478739-Book%20Launch%202026&utm_source=amazon) [![Buy on Amazon](https://start.kotterinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AMAZON%20LOGO-2.png?width=625&height=625&name=AMAZON%20LOGO-2.png)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/139446794X?utm_campaign=53478739-Book%20Launch%202026&utm_source=amazon) [![Buy on Barnes + Noble](https://start.kotterinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/B+N%20LOGO-2.png?width=625&height=625&name=B+N%20LOGO-2.png)](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-adaptive-organization-john-p-kotter/1151054978?utm_campaign=53478739-Book+Launch+2026&utm_source=barnesandnoble) [![Buy on Books-A-Million](https://start.kotterinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BAM%20LOGO.png?width=625&height=625&name=BAM%20LOGO.png)](https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Adaptive-Organization/John-P-Kotter/9781394467945?utm_campaign=53478739-Book%20Launch%202026&utm_source=booksamillion) [![Buy on Bookshop.org](https://start.kotterinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BOOKSHOP.ORG.png?width=625&height=625&name=BOOKSHOP.ORG.png)](https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-adaptive-organization-a-critical-thinking-framework-and-toolset-for-problem-solving-and-decision-making-john-p-kotter/f7da751724dedfa4?utm_campaign=53478739-Book%20Launch%202026&utm_source=bookshop) [![Buy on Porchlight](https://start.kotterinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/PORCHLIGHT%20LOGO.png?width=625&height=625&name=PORCHLIGHT%20LOGO.png)](https://www.porchlightbooks.com/products/adaptive-organization-john-p-kotter-9781394467945?utm_campaign=53478739-Book%20Launch%202026&utm_source=porchlight) [![Buy on Indigo](https://start.kotterinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/INDIGO.png?width=625&height=625&name=INDIGO.png)](https://www.indigo.ca/products/adaptive-organization?variant=47185063968978&utm_campaign=53478739-Book+Launch+2026&utm_source=indigo) ## About The Book **Build an organization engineered to thrive in an era of constant change and disruption.** In *The Adaptive Organization: How to Succeed in an Era of Constant Change*, Dr. John Kotter, *New York Times* bestselling author of **[23 books](https://www.kotterinc.com/bookshelf/)** and Harvard Business School professor emeritus, joins his Kotter colleagues Gaurav Gupta, Vanessa Akhtar, and Nick Petschek to present a framework for building organizations that thrive amid AI disruption, geopolitical volatility, and cyber threats. **The authors make the case that incremental fixes to legacy operating models are no longer sufficient for continued success.** *The Adaptive Organization* introduces three interlocking shifts required for true organizational adaptability: management practices redesigned to invite rather than stifle change, cultures that inspire leadership from many rather than the few, and broadly distributed change capabilities across the entire workforce. Real-world case studies from NBCUniversal, NASA, FedEx, and Netflix help demonstrate the value of more leadership from more people in spotting and acting upon threats and opportunities. A framework built on five decades of research and two decades of hands-on consulting helps leaders understand how to build organizations that are inherently more change-capable and adaptable. Designed for senior executives, change leaders, and organizational strategists facing relentless disruption, *The Adaptive Organization* provides a research-grounded playbook for redesigning management practices, distributing leadership, and embedding change capabilities at every level of the enterprise. [![Adaptive Organization Book Cover](https://start.kotterinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Adaptive%20Organization%20Book%20Cover.png?width=300&height=303&name=Adaptive%20Organization%20Book%20Cover.png "Adaptive Organization Book Cover")](https://www.amazon.com/dp/139446794X?utm_campaign=53478739-Book%20Launch%202026&utm_source=amazon) ## About the Authors ![Authors of The Adaptive Organization](https://start.kotterinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DAB08135%20(1).jpg?width=730&height=487&name=DAB08135%20(1).jpg "Authors of The Adaptive Organization") # Phase 1: Top-Team Alignment (The Core) ***The Focus:*** For newly formed or established leadership teams facing a significant shift. ***The Action:*** We rapidly synchronize the senior team, eliminating silos and establishing a unified front. We move the team from a group of individual experts into a singular, high-kinetic engine with absolute clarity on the transformation’s goals. ***The Outcome:*** Immediate reduction in executive friction and a clear, unified mandate for the rest of the organization. # Phase 2: Activating the Next Layer (The Cascade) ***The Focus:*** Breaking the C-suite bottleneck by empowering the next tier of management. ***The Action:*** We formalize the roles of your mid-level leaders, equipping them with the specific capabilities to champion the change. We coach them *inside* the actual work, ensuring they know how to lead through ambiguity rather than wait for top-down directives. ***The Outcome:*** The burden of execution shifts off the senior team, and the pace of transformation accelerates as more leaders are activated. # Phase 3: In-Context Execution + Engagement (The Momentum) ***The Focus:*** Shattering bureaucracy to get specific initiatives moving. ***The Action:*** We help your newly aligned leaders launch targeted initiatives that engage the broader organization. We identify and dismantle the hierarchical red tape that typically slows down progress, allowing your teams to deliver measurable value faster. ***The Outcome:*** The broader organization moves from feeling "done to" to feeling "empowered by" the change, resulting in sustainable, company-wide momentum. # Transformation Built From the Inside. You already have the talent you need. Our role is to provide the coaching, facilitation, and framework to unlock those capabilities, ensuring your organization not only survives the current disruption but builds the leadership muscle for the next one. ## Frequently asked questions Lorem Ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Ipsum cillum et nam est nobis consequat id veniam. Eiusmod est deserunt eligendi deserunt nulla et. Lorem Ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Ipsum cillum et nam est nobis consequat id veniam. Eiusmod est deserunt eligendi deserunt nulla et. Lorem Ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Ipsum cillum et nam est nobis consequat id veniam. Eiusmod est deserunt eligendi deserunt nulla et. Lorem Ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Ipsum cillum et nam est nobis consequat id veniam. Eiusmod est deserunt eligendi deserunt nulla et. Lorem Ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit. Ipsum cillum et nam est nobis consequat id veniam. Eiusmod est deserunt eligendi deserunt nulla et. Learn more ### Dr. John P. Kotter **Dr. John P. Kotter** is the Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership, Emeritus, at the Harvard Business School, a *New York Times* bestselling author, and a well-known thought leader in the areas of complex change, leadership, and corporate culture. He is also the co-founder of the management consulting firm Kotter. Dr. Kotter has published 23 books, 12 of which have been bestsellers and 13 of which have been honored on lists of best business or management books of the year. *[**Leading Change,**](https://www.porchlightbooks.com/products/leading-change-john-p-kotter-9781422186435?_pos=1&_psq=leading+change&_ss=e&_v=1.0)* perhaps his most well-known book, has been translated into 26 languages and was chosen by *Time* magazine as one of the 25 most influential management books ever written. Numerous organizations have named Dr. Kotter as the world’s number one thought leader in the areas of management, corporate culture, and change. In 2018, London-based Thinkers50 inducted him into its Management Thinkers Hall of Fame (a small number of people from around the world who are “the giants upon whose shoulders managers and leaders stand”). Dr. Kotter is the recipient of six lifetime achievement awards. In 2009, Dr. Kotter co-founded **[Kotter](https://www.kotterinc.com/)**. The firm focuses on helping organizations and leaders deal more effectively with complex change of any sort: strategic, digital, cultural, M&A driven, restructuring, and more. Today, it has a global team serving clients through advisory, consulting, and training offerings. ### Gaurav Gupta **Gaurav Gupta** has worked across 3 continents and 10 countries, and he attributes his perspective to this extensive global experience. Gaurav is head of research at Kotter and combines thinking from behavioral science, leadership development, and strategy implementation to develop new approaches to improving organizational performance. Gaurav represents Kotter through speaking engagements and advisory services. He has advised leaders across industries as diverse as finance, food and beverage, oil and energy, healthcare, and chemicals on their most important business initiatives. Gaurav is also the co-founder of Ka Partners, a firm established to help growing startups perform better through greater employee engagement, more efficient resource utilization, and better decision-making. Gaurav co-authored the book [***Change***](https://www.kotterinc.com/bookshelf/change/)and published numerous articles in magazines like *Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review,* and *Forbes,* and has been quoted in publications like the *Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.* ### Vanessa Akhtar **Vanessa Akhtar** has built her career on optimizing human performance. She received her doctorate in Sport + Performance Psychology and has spent the last 20 years helping individuals, teams, and organizations reach the top of their game – from the athletic field to the boardroom. Vanessa is Kotter’s Head of Consulting, leading the firm’s most complex engagements, delivering keynotes, and facilitating high-impact executive team sessions – with a focus on amplifying effective leadership and catalyzing action from those closest to the work. She has worked with organizations around the globe, advising leaders spanning various industries such as healthcare, utilities and energy, education, pharmaceuticals, nonprofits, and more. Prior to Kotter, Vanessa taught at Boston University and worked with athletes ranging from youth through professional and Olympic-level. Vanessa is the co-author of **[*Change*](https://www.kotterinc.com/bookshelf/change/)** and has published numerous articles in publications like *Harvard Business Review*, *MIT Sloan Management Review*, *Huffington Post*, and *Forbes*. ### Nick Petschek **Nick Petschek** leads Kotter’s EMEA business and has over two decades of experience advising and coaching senior teams and helping organizations lead complex transformations. Nick’s background allows him to draw on a unique toolbox: from the awe-inspiring circus to the nimble world of unicorn startups, to the process-oriented United Nations. Nick has worked with diverse industries and brands from household names like Apple and 3M to still unknown startups or companies supporting society behind the scenes, across all continents save Antarctica, and has published numerous articles in publications like *Harvard Business Review* and *MIT Sloan Management Review.* Nick has delivered keynotes to audiences as diverse as 1000+ conference attendees, the top 100 of global companies, and his wife and children. Nick holds a dual Master of Arts degree in International Affairs from The Fletcher School and Urban Planning, both from Tufts University, and is based in Barcelona, Spain. # Consulting Services Adapt and transform your organization. [Learn more](https://www.kotterinc.com/services/) # Training + Certification Learning and development programs for change leaders. 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