Sign-In
Cart
The ROI Lie: Why Transformation Fails and What to Measure Instead
Paperback
Publisher Price: $24.99
Publisher: Attention Shift OS LLC
Published: Sep 1 2026
Pages: 324
Weight: 0.96
Height: 0.73 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
The ROI Lie exposes why organizations keep approving transformations with numbers everyone knows are unreliable, then acting surprised when the promised value never appears.
Companies spend billions on digital transformation, technology, AI, restructuring, and change initiatives. The business cases look convincing. The ROI calculations work. The savings are documented. Yet months later, leaders are asking the same question: Where did the value go?
In The ROI Lie, experienced executives Vincent Messina and Ilana Esterrich challenge one of the most persistent assumptions in business: that traditional return on investment is an adequate way to evaluate transformation.
The problem isn't simply bad execution. Organizations are measuring the wrong things.
Transformation consumes more than money. It consumes organizational attention, leadership capacity, employee time, operating bandwidth, and the ability to compete and grow. Traditional ROI models rarely capture those costs, and they often count theoretical savings as value long before anything has actually changed.
Messina and Esterrich introduce a practical alternative: Return on Change, a discipline for evaluating whether transformation creates usable capacity and measurable business value.
Drawing on decades of experience across finance, technology, sales, operations, consulting, and organizational transformation, they show leaders how to ask better questions before approving an initiative, recognize when a business case is built on assumptions rather than evidence, and measure whether change actually improves the organization's ability to operate, control, compete, and grow.
Readers will learn why transformation value disappears between the business case and daily operations, how organizational attention becomes a hidden constraint on change, why technology investments fail to deliver promised outcomes, and how CFOs, executives, transformation leaders, and vendors can create greater accountability for value realization.
This isn't another change management theory. It's a practical challenge to how organizations buy, approve, govern, and measure transformation.
If your organization is investing in AI, digital transformation, enterprise technology, operational improvement, or large-scale change, The ROI Lie will change the questions you ask before signing the next business case.
Also in
Business General
Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition
Patterson, Kerry
Switzler, Al
Grenny, Joseph
Paperback
The Pig and I: The Tale of Our Relationship with a Beast We Eat
Endresen, Kristoffer Hattleland
Hardcover
Inspired: Understanding Creativity: A Journey Through Art, Science, and the Soul
Richtel, Matt
Hardcover
Quiet Girls Can Run the World: Owning Your Power When You're Not the Alpha in the Room
Holman, Rebecca
Paperback
Climb: Taking Every Step with Conviction, Courage, and Calculated Risk to Achieve a Thriving Career and a Successful Life
Gadsden-Williams, Michelle
Brown, Carolyn M.
Paperback
The Token: Common Sense Ideas for Increasing Diversity in Your Organization
Farmer, Crystal Byrd
Paperback
Paris Chic & Trendy: Designers' Studios, Hip Boutiques, Vintage Shops
Ribes-Tiphaine, Adrienne
Paperback
The Let Them Theory: A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can't Stop Talking about
Robbins, Mel
Robbins, Sawyer
Hardcover
The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think about Artificial Intelligence--Before It's Too Late
Doctorow, Cory
Paperback
The Risk Worth Taking: A Story of Breaking Free and Trading for a Life You Love
Ijeoma, Teri
Hardcover
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Guidara, Will
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen)
Gallo, Amy
Review, Harvard Business
Drucker, Peter F.
Paperback
The Retire Sooner Method: The 5 Secrets Behind America's Happiest (and Unhappiest) Retirees
Moss, Wes
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How to Stop Worrying about What Other People Think of You by Michael Gervais)
Duckworth, Angela L.
Review, Harvard Business
Gervais, Michael
Paperback
1873: The Rothschilds, the First Great Depression, and the Making of the Modern World
Ahamed, Liaquat
Hardcover
The Goal: 40th Anniversary Edition: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
Cox, Jeff
Goldratt, Eliyahu M.
Paperback
How to Be a Rich Old Lady: Your Guide to Easy Investing, Building Wealth, and Creating the Wild, Beautiful Life You Want
Holden, Amanda
Hardcover
Take Breaks, Work Better: Measure Impact, Not Hours, and Transform Your Profitability
Briggs, John
Paperback
Surrender to Lead: The Counterintuitive Approach to Driving Extraordinary Results
Kriegel, Jessica
Terry, Joe
Hardcover
Money Unlocked: How to Make It, Keep It and Multiply It: The New York Times Bestseller
Lee, John
Paperback
Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Grenny, Joseph
McMillan, Ron
Patterson, Kerry
Paperback
The Freedom-Based Business Method: Reset, Systemize, and Realign Your Business to Live a Life of Harmony
Ellis, Natalie
Hardcover
The Courage to Commit: Embrace the Radical Power of Sticking with Something
East, Andrew
Johnson, Shawn
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Leadership, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Begin with Trust by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss)
Ibarra, Herminia
Review, Harvard Business
Edmondson, Amy C.
Paperback
Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life
Johnson, Spencer
Hardcover
How We Could: The Framework to Lead Without Drama, Build Alignment, and Call Teams to Greatness
Dorr, Alex
Hardcover
The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, Deepmind, and the Quest for Superintelligence
Mallaby, Sebastian
Hardcover
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Holiday, Ryan
Hanselman, Stephen
Hardcover
Dummies Guide to Starting Your Own Business: Essential Steps to Launching and Scaling a Successful Small Business Venture
Press, Essywrites
Paperback
7-Figure Educator: Turn Your Experience as an Educator Into Income, Impact, and Freedom
Jordan-Thomas, Erica
Paperback
The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy
Stanley, Thomas J., PH. D.
Danko, William D., PH. D.
Paperback
What the Heck Is Eos?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS
Wickman, Gino
Bouwer, Tom
Hardcover
The Overthinker's Guide to Making Decisions: How to Make Decisions Without Losing Your Mind
Nguyen, Joseph
Hardcover
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever
Stanier, Michael Bungay
Paperback
Confidence (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Kanter, Rosabeth Moss
Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas
Paperback
Get Scalable: The Operating System Your Business Needs To Run and Scale Without You
Deiss, Ryan
Paperback
Stop Asking for Referrals: Build a Magnetic Business Through Intentional Care & Real Relationships
McNally, Flor de Maria
Paperback
The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Fitzpatrick, Rob
Paperback
I Will Teach You to Be Rich: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just a 6-Week Program That Works (Second Edition)
Sethi, Ramit
Paperback
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It
Raz, Tahl
Voss, Chris
Hardcover
Hábitos Atómicos: Cambios Pequeños, Resultados Extraordinarios / Atomic Habits
Clear, James
Paperback
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (Pmbok(r) Guide) -- Eighth Edition and the Standard for Project Management
Project Management Institute
Paperback
Building Great Businesses: Create Momentum, Overcome Setbacks, and Scale with Confidence
Becker, Scott
Hardcover
Influence and Persuasion (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Morgan, Nick
Cialdini, Robert B.
Paperback
Twenty Minutes Is the New Hour: The Ambitious Woman's Guide to Doing Less and Achieving More
Hauser, Fran
Hardcover
A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection
Epley, Nicholas
Hardcover
Mindful Listening (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Hougaard, Rasmus
Zenger, Jack
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Take It Personal: How to Succeed by Building Relationships and Playing the Long Game
Grutman, David
Hardcover
Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Pregnancy Wisdom Is Wrong--and What You Really Need to Know
Oster, Emily
Paperback
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in
Patton, Bruce
Fisher, Roger
Ury, William
Paperback
Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience
Brown, Brené
Hardcover
Crucial Accountability: Proven Skills to Build Trust, Address Disappointment, and Get Results, Third Edition
Patterson, Kerry
Grenny, Joseph
Hale, Justin
Hardcover
Power and Impact (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Cable, Dan
Bregman, Peter
Paperback
The Everywhere Millionaire: Who Is Really Rich in America and How They Got There
Zidar, Owen
Zwick, Eric
Hardcover
The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World
Stulberg, Brad
Hardcover
Happiness (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
McKee, Annie
Gilbert, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Feedback That Works: How to Build and Deliver Your Message, Second Edition
Center for Creative Leadership
Paperback
Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization
McKibben, Bill
Hardcover
Mindfulness (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Langer, Ellen
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (Featuring the Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy by Michael E. Porter)
Kim, W. Chan
Review, Harvard Business
Porter, Michael E.
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on High Performance, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant)
Goleman, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Grant, Heidi
Paperback
7 Rules of Power: Surprising--But True--Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career
Pfeffer, Jeffrey
Paperback
The Wisdom and Wealth Solution: Unlocking the Secrets of Happiness, Purpose, and Financial Security with Living360
Ansari, Feroz
Hardcover
The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula That Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors, and Spacex
McNeill, Jon
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing People, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Are You a Good Boss--Or a Great One? by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback)
Hill, Linda A.
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Paperback
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about It, Devops, and Helping Your Business Win
Kim, Gene
Behr, Kevin
Spafford, George
Paperback
Bonfire of the Murdochs: How the Epic Fight to Control the Last Great Media Dynasty Broke a Family -- And the World
Sherman, Gabriel
Hardcover
Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results
Eyal, Nir
Hardcover