Building the Bridge As You Walk On It : A Guide for Leading Change

Rating:
Summary: Leading in Life
Review: Reading this book caused my understanding, interest and excitement about self-management and self-motivation, and about leading and motivating others, to expand enormously - perhaps even to explode in a positive manner. After discovering the table of "Eight Polarities and Eight Creative States," I have referred to it repeatedly. All of us know that motivation of one's self or others may be ethereal and certainly is metastable. Dr. Quinn has carefully chosen the most pertinent terminology and thoroughly explained why and how we can move toward balance between the extremes of the Eight Polarities and thereby lengthen our stay within "the fundamental state of leadership." The examples shared are contagious - as is the fundamental state of leadership.

Dr. Quinn explains, "Teaching...the concept [is] not the key. The key [is] to challenge [others] and support them in choosing to enter the fundamental state of leadership" following one's own inherently contagious example. Excitement mushrooms from the possibility and understanding of how to choose to live in the fundamental state of leadership and consequentially to pervade positive, effective leadership influence.

Rating:
Summary: Ordinary Individual, Extraordinary Leader
Review: While this is the third book written by Quinn in a trilogy on the process of helping individuals and organizations to make deep change, I happened to read this one first. I then eagerly read his other two books.

It is human nature to find a comfort zone and then try our hardest to stay in that zone. We feel safe, secure, and in control in our comfort zone. Sometimes, however, we try so hard to stay in the zone that we exert more energy than it would take to change. So why not change? Change is difficult and necessitates giving up power. Prior to reading the book I felt it was almost admitting failure. Change can be especially difficult when we are acting in the role of leader, and trying to move a large group of individuals toward the fulfillment of a goal or vision. How, then, do we lead and manage change? How do we transform an organization?

Leadership is a state of being, which Quinn calls the "fundamental state of leadership". This is a state in which we are open to personal change, and consequently draw others to us by our change in behavior. In the book Quinn gives a detailed explanation of this new model of leaderhip and thoroughly examines the personal nature of change. He gives examples ordinary people who have led extraordinary change efforts. These stories motivate, they bring heroic efforts within reach of the ordinary individual.

Executive, middle manager, associate, student, father or mother - all will benefit from this book.

Rating:
Summary: Ordinary Individual, Extraordinary Leader
Review: While this is the third book written by Quinn in a trilogy on the process of helping individuals and organizations to make deep change, I happened to read this one first. I then eagerly read his other two books.

It is human nature to find a comfort zone and then try our hardest to stay in that zone. We feel safe, secure, and in control in our comfort zone. Sometimes, however, we try so hard to stay in the zone that we exert more energy than it would take to change. So why not change? Change is difficult and necessitates giving up power. Prior to reading the book I felt it was almost admitting failure. Change can be especially difficult when we are acting in the role of leader, and trying to move a large group of individuals toward the fulfillment of a goal or vision. How, then, do we lead and manage change? How do we transform an organization?

Leadership is a state of being, which Quinn calls the "fundamental state of leadership". This is a state in which we are open to personal change, and consequently draw others to us by our change in behavior. In the book Quinn gives a detailed explanation of this new model of leaderhip and thoroughly examines the personal nature of change. He gives examples ordinary people who have led extraordinary change efforts. These stories motivate, they bring heroic efforts within reach of the ordinary individual.

Executive, middle manager, associate, student, father or mother - all will benefit from this book.