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This is the first in a series of two articles that describe the results of a qualitative, multiple case study that used grounded theory methods based on in-depth interviews with 14 CEOs who led successful organization transformations resulting in recognition as a Malcolm Baldrige National Qualify Award recipient. A framework for leading the transformation to performance excellence (LTPE) from the top is described. The LTPE framework consists of 35 concepts organized into five categories: forces and facilitators of change, leadership approaches, leadership behaviors, individual leader characteristics, and organizational culture. This article (part one of two) explores two of the five categories in depth: forces and facilitators of change and leadership approaches or system. The elements of each individual component are described along with supporting data, relationships to other components are explained, and linkages to theory are identified. While the leadership approaches form a strategic leadership system, several additional leadership theories are identified and discussed including transformational and transactional leadership, servant leadership, and spiritual leadership.
Key words: Baldrige Award, Criteria for Performance Excellence, drivers of change, grounded theory, leadership system, leading transformation, organizational learning, performance excellence, servant leadership, spiritual leadership, stakeholder value, strategic leadership, strategy deployment, sustainability, transformational leadership, upper echelon
INTRODUCTION
Since the quality crisis of the 1980s, organizations have faced unprecedented change in the areas of global competition, competition for talent, economic turbulence, and uncertainty, along with social and environmental challenges, forcing them to continuously rethink their strategies and redesign their methods for achieving sustainable success (Bartunek, Balogun, and Do 2011). Today, leaders are faced with investors (including donors and taxpayers) who are making risk assessments and investment decisions based on the sustainability of organizational performance (economic, social, and environment); customers who are making purchase decisions based not only on product and service quality but also organizational environmental and social performance; and potential employees who are choosing where to spend their working life based on all three. While the challenges are great, organizations and the methods they use to create value were designed by humans (consciously or unconsciously) and can be redesigned to create value for multiple stakeholders. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Criteria for Performance Excellence (CPE) is a multistakeholder model that integrates the dimensions of economic, social, and environmental sustainability...