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Summary: Distilling the essence of Leadership
Review: Perkins' book provides a unique and fascinating angle on a subject of pivotal concern. Ernest Shackleton's remarkable antarctic survival saga can, ultimately, only be understood as evidence of outstanding leadership abilities. The book examines Shackleton's actions and decisions and extracts 10 key leadership lessons that can be applied by anyone faced with the challenge of leading and influencing others in these turbulent times. I highly recommend it!
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Summary: Leadership & Action
Review: The author, Dennis N. T. Perkins, shows extraordinary insight in leadership with 10 clearly stated principles. Based in strong part on Shackelton's expedition, these 10 principles are not only clearly stated, but truly make a difference. It is obvious that Perkins understands leadership. The book is easy to read, but takes plenty of mental energy. This book should be read by any manager, and should be considered a classic.
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Summary: Leadership & Action
Review: The author, Dennis N. T. Perkins, shows extraordinary insight in leadership with 10 clearly stated principles. Based in strong part on Shackelton's expedition, these 10 principles are not only clearly stated, but truly make a difference. It is obvious that Perkins understands leadership. The book is easy to read, but takes plenty of mental energy. This book should be read by any manager, and should be considered a classic.
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Summary: Simply Amazing
Review: This book is a "must read" for everyone aspiring to become a leader. The different life and death situations that Shackleton and his men faced, and how they overcame the obstacles in their way, is an example for all to follow.
The book is written masterfully, allowing the reader to reflect on how different leadership techniques were applied and how to apply the techniques to the situations particular to the reader.
Outstanding Work!
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Summary: it's all a matter of attitue
Review: This book provides a great example of the FACT that anything can be done with the right state of mind. In building a business, advancing in your career, or surviving a tragedy, Perkins eloquently proves that the mind and attitude are the key critical components of survival and success. Great read!
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Summary: Shackleton's expedition can still teach important lessons
Review: This is a good new business book that posits that today's businesspeople can learn from the leadership example of Sir Ernest Shackleton as displayed during his famous 1914-1916 Endurance expedition. The author takes lessons from Shackleton's experience, his own experiences as a Marine Corps officer in Vietnam, and from the business world, and contrasts them with examples from unsuccessul expeditions and businesses. He and his coauthors then finish up with a series of cases from the real world that illuminate the thesis, especially the tragic Malden Mills fire, in which Aaron Feuerstein was able to show truly Shackleton-like leadership characteristics and care for his employees. Not only will businesspeople learn valuable lessons in leadership from this book, but it can serve as a useful introduction to Shackleton's adventures.
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Summary: A Great Book!
Review: This is a great book for anyone trying to improve their leadership skills. It outlines ten concrete strategies that can be applied in everyday, real-world situations. These strategies are tied into a great adventure story that makes the book interesting and engaging to read.
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Summary: Great Leadersip Under Duress
Review: This is one of the most exciting books I have read in recent years. In collaboration with others, Perkins briefly reviews the key details of the "Shackleton Saga" before shifting his attention (in Part One) to ten leadership strategies which, he correctly suggests, have direct, indeed compelling relevance to the contemporary business world. They are:1. Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives. 2. Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behavior. 3. Instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality. 4. Take care of yourself: Maintain your stamina and let go of guilt. 5. Reinforce the team message constantly: "We are one -- we live or die together." 6. Minimize staff differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect. 7. Master conflict -- deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and avoid needless power struggles. 8. Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about. 9. Be willing to take the Big Risk. 10. Never give up -- there's always another move. Examine any of today's great organizations and you will encounter an abundance of evidence of these ten lessons' effectiveness. In Part Two, Perkins provides four case studies based on Business Communication Systems (AT&T/Lucent Technologies), Rice Health Systems, Weyerhaeuser Company, and Malden Mills. The material in Part Three suggests how to "lead at the edge" and then, in an Epilogue, Perkins provides his "perspective" on success and failure. Part Four consists of various resources: Critical Leadership Skills Survey, Your Leadership Expedition: A Personal Development Plan, Your Leadership Expedition Map, Further Readings from The Edge, and a wealth of notes on the text. From the time that Ernest Shackleton set sail (December 5, 1914) on the Endurance with his crew of 26 seamen and scientists until he and his crew finally reached South Georgia (May 10.1916), he steadfastly followed each of these ten strategies. The challenges encountered along the way ("at the edge") are almost beyond comprehension. All of these challenges are discussed in chilling detail in Caroline Alexander's brilliant study, The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Anarctic Expedition (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999). If you have a taste for great adventure and/or an interest in great leadership, I urge you to read Perkins'book, preferably in combination with Alexander's.
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Summary: Authentic Leadership for the Real World
Review: This is simply one of the finest, most fascinating, and most instructive leadership books I have ever read. Dr. Perkins and his co-authors have succeeded in clarifying the universal leadership principles and practices as they exist in the real world. Using the incredible true story of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition as backdrop, and interweaving modern business examples to further illustrate the critical leadership lessons, Dr. Perkins has captured the heart, soul, and guts of leadership for the modern leader. Rather than stopping there, he also gives us the benefit of leadership lessons learned through his own intense experiences "leading at the edge" as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer in Vietnam, and as an organizational leadership consultant. It doesn't get any better than this extremely well-written work. If you, like me, are tired of the "leadership cookbooks" which crowd the bookstore shelves, search this one out. Read it. Discuss it with your family and your colleagues, and truly grow from the experience. The lessons are powerful, the stories are inspiring and instructive, and they work at the level of both metaphor and real-world example of what is possible in any organization when authentic leadership is present. Sean M. Georges, JD, LLM, is a former Marine Corps Officer and now serves as Vice President, Human Resources for a publicly-traded corporation.
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Summary: Experience this book...
Review: This is the type of book that you will seek out over and over again as you gain insight and understanding into your own individual leadership. Key strategies taught through this powerful story have helped guide me through the work that I have done and continue to do. The concept of teaching through storytelling captures the reader in an emotional way and imprints the learning so that the experience is long rememberd.
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