On the surface, Our Iceberg Is Melting is a simple story of a colony of penguins facing a dilemma. But contained within the story and the characters is a powerful message about the fear of change and how to motivate people to face the future and take action.

Most of the denizens of the Antarctic penguin colony sneer at Fred, the quiet but observant scout who detects worrying signs that their home, an iceberg, is melting. Fred must cleverly convince and enlist key players, such as Louis, the head penguin; Alice, the number two bird; the intractable NoNo the weather expert; and a passle of school-age penguins if he is to save the colony.

Their delightfully told journey illuminates in an unforgettable way how to manage the necessary change that surrounds us all. Simple explanatory material following the fable enhances the lasting value of these lessons.

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Our Iceberg Is Melting is at once charming, accessible and profound; a treat for virtually any reader.

Praise for Original Edition

“Our Iceberg Is Melting is superb. It embodies powerful messages that can help a broad audience. It covers all the steps to success in a changing world, from finding the substantial issues, aligning with a potent champion, charting the course, getting buy-in, dealing with those who want no change, and so on.”

Chris Hand

Chris Hand

Citigroup Global Account Vice President,
Avaya Corporation

“As a result of the book and my sharing it with a few people in the organization, we have moved quickly on several fronts. We are galvanized to go ahead instead of further studying, more organizing, and so on. It is making a difference for us.”

Tom Curley

Tom Curley

former President and CEO,
Associated Press

“Never have I read a parable in a business book that took a complex issue like change management and distilled it down into a simple story for all to understand. This is the ideal follow-on to Leading Change and The Heart of Change. A must-read for anyone dealing with managing change.”

Richard J. Kosinski

Richard J. Kosinski

Category Development Officer,
Yahoo, Inc.

John Kotter

About the Author

John Kotter has been on the faculty at Harvard Business School since 1972. He is the author of eleven award-winning titles and frequently gives speeches and seminars at Harvard and around the world. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Holger Rathgeber spent his early professional career in Asia. He has worked in industry since the early 1990's and is now with one of the leading medical technology companies, Bectom Dickinson.

Kotter is a consulting firm that partners with clients to achieve blockbuster results faster than leaders believed possible.

With offices in Seattle, Boston, and London and team members located across the US and Europe, Kotter's consulting and leadership development offerings identify and build leadership potential throughout an organization, in turn creating a movement capable of sustaining results in an ever-changing world.

We relentlessly ask the question: If the world saw more leadership from more people, what could change? We believe so much more is possible.