How--and why--did revolutionary companies like Google, Apple, Cisco, and Southwest Airlines come about? The growth and success of such companies seems extraordinary, if not impossible, yet it has happened repeatedly despite the advance and proliferation of businesses to the point where it would seem that "everything's already been done." It's the specific business plans and mindsets of the people behind these rare "transformative" companies that enable these stunning achievements.

In "Built for Change: Essential Traits of Transformative Companies," the author reveals what distinguishes...