The Phoenix Project

Porn for MBAs.

The gruff-but-kind ex-Marine who is pushed into a VP of IT position, inheriting a trainwreck, then turns the organization (and the entire company!) around in less than three months by embracing DevOps. The inscrutable John Galt who swoops in on demand, Deus-ex-Machina style, gives 3-page speeches filled with Profound Management Wisdom then vanishes in a puff of smoke. The trusty lovable sidekicks who chime in at the right time with the right insights but otherwise just agree with Mr. Hero VP on everything. The sneaky traitor who works to undermine our hero but gets her comeuppance in the end. There's even the prim fussy security wonk who, halfway through, takes off his glasses and transforms into Sexy Librarian. No wait, I mean Chief Enthusiastic Acolyte Who Sees The Error Of His Past Ways. Dialog and character growth so fake you can almost hear the slap of the trowel laying it on thick.

That said: I enjoyed it. When it's not being preachy it's written in a way that demonstrates (by example) good communication habits, empathy, listening, decision-making, and a sprinkling of work/life balance. This adds credibility to the preachy parts, which really aren't that many anyway. It's a decent way to gain perspective on bad and good ways to run an organization. Plus, it's a fun read in a bubblegum sort of way.