Rating: 
Summary: About the leadership -- poignantly
Review: "Leadership on the Line" appends and fulfils Ron's original framework first presented in the "Leadership Without Easy Answers". If you didn't study the framework closely, learn it and come back. While "Leadership Without Easy Answers" explains bit by bit the perils of adaptive change and the importance of orchestrating the conflict, giving the work back, managing appropriate pace and keeping the holding environment, it gives only a quick (not quite sufficient) glance at getting on the balcony, finding partners and distinguishing allies from confidants. The first six chapters of the "Leadership on the Line" are purposed to complete the framework. Chapters seven to nine is a highly practical cookbook: how to take the heat and hold steadily, how to manage your hungers and keep sanity, how to deal with sexual and intimacy issues, how to distinguish role from self. The final, very provocative chapters are philosophical and spiritual. Poignantly, they raise a question: what is this all for? Devote a thought to love, innocence, curiosity and compassion -- the virtues of an open heart.
Rating: 
Summary: The Single Greatest Literary Work of Our Time? Joke
Review: <smirk>
The Single Greatest Literary Work of Our Time? At least the authors should try to look a little impartial when reviewing their own work. I guess after Harvard's ethical flexibility re: Jack Welch - this kind of thing is tolertated.
Rating:
Summary: This book shows things that open the view of leadership
Review: I recomend this book to everyone who needs a good understanding of leadership and its implications. This book helps to analise day to day cases, implement changes or new ideas, and many others things. It uses simple and efective examples. I consider it a must have book.
Rating:
Summary: This book shows things that open the view of leadership
Review: I recomend this book to everyone who needs a good understanding of leadership and its implications. This book helps to analise day to day cases, implement changes or new ideas, and many others things. It uses simple and efective examples. I consider it a must have book.
Rating:
Summary: A starter's guide only.
Review: I was after a book on business leadership with serious analysis of what works backed up by case examples - this is NOT it. This is a good book for new leaders - it tells all the things that can go wrong and how you can work your way through the maze of other people and other agendas. Its definitely not a new "Make It Happen" (John Harvey Jones) which is what I wanted and expected. It is heaps of sociology and everyday examples, not a guide to the insights that make people follow you through those long entrepreneurial days and nights of hard work, near zero pay and share options in the distant future. Leadership where constant danger lurks rather than "nice" ways to get people to come along with you. Sorry but it is a nice book for nice leaders.
Rating: 
Summary: Great guide to dangers of leadership
Review: I've liked the book. It is well organized with plenty of good examples. It really helps new and may be not that new leader in recognizing dangers of the trade. Unfortunately if you are looking for the answers how to prevail, you won't find it easily. Still major part of fighting the danger is recognizing it and the authors did it skillfully.
Rating:
Summary: The Single Greatest Literary Work of Our Time
Review: Leadership on the line, a compelling text complete with touching personality and gripping emotional exploration, is a must buy for anyone involved in business - nay - anyone. Period. And let us not forget the wonderful introduction in which the authors graciously reveal the true genius behind their work.....their children.
Rating:
Summary: a helpful reminder to leaders within political environment
Review: Net, I love this book, because it has a few conceptual key points to make me re-think about leadership, and that's very valuable for me. Before reading this book, I knew leadership is hard, but I never realize leaderhip is dangerous, and that's the most valuable lesson for me. The authors used quite many political examples to show why leadership is dangerous and in what aspects. At the end, the authors also provide some solution to address the danger. I agree some criticism that the solution is somehow vague and not thorough, but I think I can figure out the solution myself because now I've known what issue to handle. I recommend this book to new leaders and leaders within a very political environment.
Rating:
Summary: Mandatory Reading for Leaders
Review: No matter what you lead or who you lead, this book is mandatory reading. It is concise and highly readable, and there is not a chapter that fails to add to the reader's knowledge.
I usually don't mark up books but I found myself dogearing and underlining. This is an absolutely valuable addition to the literature on leadership.
Rating:
Summary: A new, Improved, & User-Friendlier incarnation
Review: Serious scholars of leadership will already be well-acquainted with the path-breaking work of Ron Heifetz. His "Leadership W/out Easy Answers" and other significant contributions to "The Harvard Business Review," for instance, have already established him as one of the foremost authorities in the field. I believe that "Leadership W/out Easy Answers" is one of the top 5 works on leadership. I recommend it highly to any and all leaders, managers, and students with professional aspirations. "Leadership on the Line" reiterates several of the previous book's compelling themes--but with a more informal, user-friendlier tone. I'd recommend that discerning readers sample this (more recently published) one first, and then proceed to Heifetz's earlier title (publ'd in 1994) if they're curious to read more.
In their "Introduction" to this new volume, Heifetz and Linsky explain that "We wanted this second book to be more focused, more practical, and more personal [than "L'ship W/out Easy Answers"]. We hope this book will be accessible, eminently usable, and inspiring in your work and life." Happily, they've accomplished their mission this time around, too!
This narrative is even more readable, more anecdotal, and less jargon-laden than its "more academic" predecessor. It should thus reward an even broader audience of readers (including more committed "generalists").
If one of James MacGregor Burns's seminal contributions to the field was the distinction between transactional and transformational leadership, Heifetz's elucidation here of "adaptive vs. technical leadership" merits similar distinction, in my view. "Leadership on the Line" speaks to the heart and soul as well as the mind. Most of us are likely to have plenty to glean from the incisive leadership insights it offers.
| 
