Leading at the edge

I like to believe that people don't choose the books they read, but that books choose their readers. Leading at the Edge by Dennis Perkins is one of those books that arrived in my hands in the most unusual way. Bernard and I were walking to the subway when he suddenly stopped to take a picture of some random thing happening on the street. My disinterest in whatever it was he tried to photograph drew my attention to three books, lying on the side walk, seemingly dropped out of a purse, no sign of the owner, not even in them. But most striking was that only a few moments earlier, Bernard and I had prepared a workshop on leadership, and then this book fell out of the sky, to land on our path, exactly there where something interesting enough would happen to make Bernard want to eternalize it.

So I took this book with me, convinced that it would prove to be of value for my work. Dennis Perkins extracts 10 leadership strategies from the extraordinary saga of Shackleton's Antarctic expedition, in which he succeeded in the unimaginable, to bring home alive each and everyone of his crew after they were left shipwrecked on the ice.

1. Vision and quick victories
   Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives.
2. Symbolism and personal example
   Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors.
3. Optimism and reality
   Instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality.
4. Stamina
   Take care of yourself: Maintain your stamina and let go of guilt.
5. The team message
   Reinforce the team message constantly: "We are one - we live or die together."
6. Core team values
   Minimize status differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect.
7. Conflict
   Master conflict - deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and enjoy needless power struggles.
8. Lighten up!
   Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about.
9. Risk
   Be willing to take the Big Risk.
10. Tenacious creativity
    Never give up - there's always another move.

None of them come as a surprise, and many are elaborated upon in other books and courses about personal excellence and leadership, but nevertheless this list is quite a good summary of necessary qualities of a powerful leader.