Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition
Dennis N. T. Perkins with Margaret P. Holtman, Paul Kessler, Catherine McCarthy





Format: Hardcover, 288pp.
ISBN: 9780814431948
Publisher: AMACOM
Pub. Date: March 28, 2012

Average Customer Review:


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Description and Reviews
From The Publisher:

Part adventure story, part leadership guide, this intriguing book examines Shackleton's legendary Antarctic expedition through the lens of business—to reveal a set of powerful strategies for corporate leaders.

In the chronicles of extraordinary adventures and against-the-odds survival, nothing compares to the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team of South Pole explorers. Stranded in the frozen sea for nearly two years, they endured extreme temperatures, hazardous ice, dwindling food, complete isolation, and perpetual blackness.

Yet, despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the group remained cohesive, congenial, and mercifully alive—a fact that speaks not just to luck but to an unparalleled feat in leadership.

Now, for the first time ever, Leading at the Edge draws on this amazing story to reveal the power of effective organizational leadership under conditions of uncertainty, ambiguity, and rapid change. The book uncovers 10 lessons—complete with stirring examples from the Shackleton expedition, as well as contemporary business case studies of the strategies in action—on what it takes to be a great leader. Readers learn how to:

• Set a personal example with vivid symbols and behaviors
• Instill optimism while staying grounded in reality
• Reinforce the team message constantly
• Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about
• Have the courage to take big risks, and more.

For managers and executives who feel stressed out or stretched thin, these memorable strategies will help bring order to chaos—and success in the face of the most daunting adversity.


Reviews

Dr. Perkins, a management consultant whose clients include American Express, Bose, Citibank, and Marriot is ... a connoisseur of leadership in circumstances of great peril. His new book offers lessons in leadership "at the outer limits of human endurance—the place I call The Edge." This thoughtful work has the feel of a lifelong obsession.... Dr. Perkins builds his corporate leadership text around the astonishing story of the British Imperial Trans-Antartic Expedition, led by Sir Ernest Shackleton.... Dr. Perkins offers us Ernest Shackleton as the model leader, a captain obsessed with the welfare of his men. Cautious or daring as circumstances required, Shackleton was a rock.... Dr. Perkins has distilled 10 principles from these survival experiences, and he offers them as a guide for business leadership at the edge.

—New York Times, May 28, 2000

About the Authors

Dennis N. T. Perkins, Ph.D. (Branford, CT) is president of the Syncretics Group, a consultancy that specializes in effective leadership. Margaret P. Holtman is director of employee development at Hartford Life, Inc. Paul R. Kessler is a managing consultant at Stromberg Consulting. Catherine McCarthy, Ph.D., is a consultant with Organizational Psychologists, L.L.C.


Table of Contents

	Acknowledgements	ix
	Preface	xiii
	The Shackleton Saga	1
Part 1	Ten Strategies for Leading at The Edge
1	Vision and Quick Victories: Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives	15
2	Symbolism and Personal Example: Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors	29
3	Optimism and Reality: Instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality	40
4	Stamina: Take care of yourself: Maintain your stamina and let go of guilt	56
5	The Team Message: Reinforce the team message constantly: "We are one—we live or die together."	70
6	Core Team Values: Minimize status differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect	86
7	Conflict: Master conflict—deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and avoid needless power struggles	98
8	Lighten Up! Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about	113
9	Risk: Be willing to take the Big Risk	125
10	Tenacious Creativity: Never give up—there's always another move	139
Part 2	Case Studies in Leading at The Edge
01	Introduction to the Case Studies	153
12	Business Communication Systems (AT&T/ Lucent Technologies): Back to the Future	157
13	Rice Health Systems: Healing a Sick Organization	170
14	Weyerhaeuser Company: Transforming a Culture	185
15	Malden Mills: Rising from the Ashes	198
Part 3	Continuing Your Expedition
16	Learning to Lead at The Edge	215
17	Epilogue: A Perspective on Success and Failure	227
Part 4	Resources for Leading at The Edge
	Resources	233
	Critical Leadership Skills Survey	234
	Your Leadership Expedition: A Personal Development Plan	241
	Your Leadership Expedition Map	245
	Further Readings from The Edge	247
	Notes	251
	Index	261

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