Leading at the Edge : Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition

Acknowledgments for the second edition -- Acknowledgments for the first edition -- Preface -- The Shackleton saga -- Ten strategies for leading at the edge -- Vision and quick victories -- Strategy 1: never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives -- Symbolism and personal example -- Strategy 2: set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors : optimism and reality -- Strategy 3: instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality : stamina -- Strategy 4: take care of yourself : maintain your stamina and let go of guilt -- The team message -- Strategy 5: reinforce the team message constantly : "We are one : we live or die together." -- Core team values -- Strategy 6: minimize status differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect : -- Conflict -- Strategy 7: master conflict : deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and avoid needless power struggles -- Lighten up! -- Strategy 8: find something to celebrate and something to laugh about : risk -- Strategy 9: be willing to take the big risk -- Tenacious creativity -- Strategy 10: never give up : there's always another move -- Continuing your expedition -- Learning to lead at the edge -- Epilogue: what makes an exceptional leader? -- Tools for leading at the edge -- Expedition toolkit -- Critical leadership skills survey -- Your leadership expedition : a personal development plan -- Your leadership expedition map -- Identifying hidden conflicts : conducting a moose round-up -- Resolving conflicts : lessons from the martial arts -- Further readings from the edge -- Notes -- Index. For the 100th anniversary of the Race to the South Pole, a fresh look at what Shackleton's legendary Antarctic adventure can teach us about true leadership. Stranded in the frozen Antarctic sea for nearly two years, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team of 27 polar explorers endured extreme temperatures, hazardous ice, dwindling food, and complete isolation. Despite these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the group remained cohesive, congenial, and mercifully alive-a fact that speaks not just to luck but to an unparalleled feat of leadership. Drawing on this amazing story, Leading at The Edge demonstrates the importance of a strong leader in times of adversity, uncertainty, and change. The book reveals 10 timeless leadership lessons that show readers how to: • Instill optimism while staying grounded in reality • Have the courage to step up to risks worth taking • Consistently reinforce the team message • Set a personal example • Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about • Never give up. Part adventure tale, part leadership guide, the second edition features additional lessons, new case studies of the strategies in action, tools to uncover and resolve conflicts, and expanded resources. An updated epilogue compares the leadership styles of the famous polar explorers Shackleton, Amundsen, and Scott. Today's leaders have much to learn from this gripping account of survival against all odds. Leading at The Edge will help them bring order to chaos-and achieve success in the face of adversity. Stranded in the frozen Antarctic sea for nearly two years, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team of 27 polar explorers endured extreme temperatures, hazardous ice, dwindling food, and complete isolation. Despite these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the group remained cohesive, congenial, and mercifully alive-a fact that speaks not just to luck but to an unparalleled feat of leadership. Drawing on this amazing story, "Leading at The Edge" demonstrates the importance of a strong leader in times of adversity, uncertainty, and change. The book reveals 10 timeless leadership lessons that show readers how to: instill optimism while staying grounded in reality; have the courage to step up to risks worth taking; consistently reinforce the team message; set a personal example; find something to celebrate and something to laugh about; and, never give up. Part adventure tale, part leadership guide, the second edition features additional lessons, new case studies of the strategies in action, tools to uncover and resolve conflicts, and expanded resources. An updated epilogue compares the leadership styles of the famous polar explorers Shackleton, Amundsen, and Scott. Today's leaders have much to learn from this gripping account of survival against all odds. "Leading at The Edge" will help them bring order to chaos-and achieve success in the face of adversity Drawing on the amazing story of Shackleton and his polar exploration team's survival against all odds, author Dennis N. T. Perkins demonstrates the importance of a strong leader in times of adversity, uncertainty, and change.Part adventure tale and part leadership guide, Leading at the Edge uncovers what the legendary Antarctic adventure of Sir Ernest Shackleton, his ship Endurance, and his team of twenty-seven polar explorers can teach us about bringing order to chaos through true leadership.Among other skills, you'll learn how to:instill optimism while staying grounded in reality,step up to risks worth taking,consistently reinforce your team message,set a personal example,find things to celebrate,laugh small things off,and--even in the face of extreme temperatures, hazardous ice, scarce food, and complete isolation--never give up.This second edition of Leading at the Edge features additional lessons, new case studies of the strategies in action, tools to uncover and resolve conflicts, and expanded resources.An updated epilogue compares the leadership styles of the famous polar explorers Shackleton, Amundsen, and Scott, which transcend the one-hundred-plus years since their historic race to the South Pole to help today's leaders learn valuable lessons about the meaning of true success. The century-old harrowing adventure of a group of Antarctic explorers is an epic tale--and an even better lesson in leadership. Discover ten timeless tips for achieving success in the face of insurmountable challenges.