Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading by Martin Linsky, Ronald A. Heifetz

Named one of 100 Leadership & Success Books to Read in a Lifetime by Amazon Editors To lead is to live dangerously. It's romantic and exciting to think of leadership as all inspiration, decisive action, and rich rewards, but leading requires taking risks that can jeopardize your career and your personal life. It requires putting yourself on the line, disturbing the status quo, and surfacing hidden conflict. And when people resist and push back, there's a strong temptation to play it safe. Those who choose to lead plunge in, take the risks, and sometimes get burned. But it doesn't have to be that way say renowned leadership authorities Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky. In Leadership on the Line, they show how it's possible to make a difference without getting taken out or pushed aside. They present everyday tools that give equal weight to the dangerous work of leading change and the critical importance of personal survival. Through vivid stories from all walks of life, the authors present straightforward strategies for navigating the perilous straits of leadership. Whether parent or politician, CEO or community activist, this practical book shows how you can exercise leadership and survive and thrive to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Editorial Reviews Amazon.com Review Climbing Mount Everest: dangerous. Hitchhiking in Colombia: very dangerous. Leading through change: perilous. Perilous but possible, say Heifetz and Linsky in their encouragingly practical guide to putting yourself on the line and negotiating the hazards of leadership. As the authors acknowledge, many leadership books are all about inspiration, but downplay the perspiration. This one doesn't. Leadership is always a risky business, but those risks can be understood and reduced. Effective leadership comes from doing more than the technical work of routine management; it involves adaptive work on the part of the leader, and a willingness to confront and disturb people, promote their resourcefulness, and engage their ability to adjust to new realities. But adaptive change always encounters resistance. Heifetz and Linsky examine four forms of resistance--marginalization, diversion, attack, and seduction--before presenting a number of practical resistance-response skills to nurture and employ. Some are fairly obvious (like developing and maintaining perspective, and holding steady in the midst of change), and others more complex (like thinking politically when dealing with friends, foes, and fence sitters), but shimmering nuggets of insight and practical wisdom can be found in each. The dangers of leadership also spring from within, however, and the book's final section addresses ways to recognize and manage competing hungers and learn to distinguish one's roles from one's self. The authors' points are illustrated by the experiences of leaders from all walks of life, making this a useful and inspiring manual for anyone hoping to put themselves on the line and make a difference in the lives of others. --S. Ketchum From Publishers Weekly Recognizing that it can be both lonely and difficult at the top, the authors faculty members of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government set out to lend emotional and practical support. Whether leaders represent a local planning board or a Fortune 500 company, they live dangerously, say the authors, because when leadership counts, when you lead people through difficult change, you challenge what people hold dear their daily habits, tools, loyalties, and ways of thinking with nothing more to offer perhaps than a possibility. To that end, Heifetz and Linsky offer useful strategies leaders can employ, such as building political constituencies, trying to orchestrate the inevitable conflict, and forcing those who cause problems to actually solve the problems. Indeed, the book does dwell on the negative aspects of leadership, serving more as a troubleshooting guide than a how-to leadership handbook. Some of the examples are informal (e.g., the 1994 Chicago Bulls), while others are more traditional (e.g., city planning and politics). Showing a sympathetic side, Heifetz and Linsky offer tactics to help leaders not to take conflict personally. Remember, they counsel, you are more than your job. This book will undoubtedly provide leaders and managers comfort on days when everything seems to be going wrong in their department or organization. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. Review Widely acclaimed book - The Huffington Post From the Author This book is about the personal challenges and dangers of exercising leadership. We wrote it after a half-century of teaching and consulting between us. We have worked in medicine, law, music, journalism and politics and we have been working together for some fifteen years. We have heard literally thousands of stories from people, some of them at the top of large organizations, some in the middle, some on the outside. Many of their stories come from professional experience, but many come from folksÂ' civic and personal lives, as well. What these stories have told us is that leadership is difficult and dangerous, but also that there are many powerful and practical ideas that can reduce the risks; moreover, exercising leadership is worth doing because it adds significance and meaning to your life. This book grew out of their stories. We use these stories to illustrate both the mistakes you can easily make and the ways you can avoid making them. How do you put yourself out there without you becoming the issue? How do you stay in a leadership role, asking the difficult questions, pointing out the gap between espoused values and behavior, keeping uncomfortable subjects on the table or doing yourself in? How do you keep your own spirit alive when those threatened are attacking you and some of your allies are abandoning you? Finally, this book is about why exercising leadership is so important, not only for the groups, organizations and communities you are trying to affect, but also for you, yourself, in the significance and meaning in your own life. Our deepest aspirations for Leadership on the Line are that it will provide both practical advice and inspiration, so that you will have better tools and means to lead, protect yourself, keep your spirit alive, and celebrate the fruits of your labor. From the Back Cover This is not a conventional book about how to inspire and lead a large organization. It is a much more ambitious work that describes the personal challenges and tactical problems that arise in trying to exert a constructive influence in all kinds of organizational settings. In its wealth of examples, insights, and suggestions, every reader will find ideas of genuine value. -Derek C. Bok, President Emeritus of Harvard University and author of The Trouble with Government With stories that are inspiring and sobering, Heifetz and Linsky show us the perils of leadership and offer us the keys to survival. This book will be indispensable to anyone trying to make big changes in how their company does business. -Robert Iger, President and COO, Walt Disney Company This practical guide to the art of leadership contains wisdom for us all, combining vivid stories with intellectual rigor. The authors honor the notion that we each have unique gifts to offer, and through our offering we can both serve the common good and, in so doing, derive a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives. - The Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate, Episcopal Church in the United States Chock-full of political wisdom as well as wisdom for the soul. Anyone with passion to make a difference in public life ought to read this book before taking another step. -Doris Kearns Goodwin, historian and author of No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt-The Home Front in World War II Leadership on the Line could also be called 'High Risk, High Payoff.' Having the courage to step forward with solutions regardless of an accepted pecking order is what real leadership is all about. Overcoming the perils of leading and the satisfaction that comes in doing so is the theme of this splendid work. -Lieutenant General Bernard E. Trainor, USMC (Ret.) Senior Fellow for National Security, Council on Foreign Relations There are many books about leadership, but I know of none more realistic about the risks and rewards of challenging an organization than this one. It is 'tough love' applied to the real world. -David S. Broder, The Washington Post This book goes well beyond making a significant contribution to the field of leadership. Heifetz and Linsky leverage their formidable professional and personal experiences to show all of us, at work and love and play, how to lead and live more fully. -Warren Bennis, University of Southern California, coauthor of the forthcoming Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values, and Defining Moments Shape Leaders About the Author Ronald A. Heifetz is a cofounder of the international leadership and consulting practice Cambridge Leadership Associates (CLA) and the founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is renowned worldwide for his innovative work on the practice and teaching of leadership. Marty Linsky is a cofounder of CLA and has taught at the Kennedy School for more than twenty-five years. Alexander Grashow is a Senior Advisor to CLA, having previously held the position of CEO. From the Back Cover This is not a conventional book about how to inspire and lead a large organization. It is a much more ambitious work that describes the personal challenges and tactical problems that arise in trying to exert a constructive influence in all kinds of organizational settings. In its wealth of examples, insights, and suggestions, every reader will find ideas of genuine value. -Derek C. Bok, President Emeritus of Harvard University and author of The Trouble with Government With stories that are inspiring and sobering, Heifetz and Linsky show us the perils of leadership and offer us the keys to survival. This book will be indispensable to anyone trying to make big changes in how their company does business. -Robert Iger, President and COO, Walt Disney Company This practical guide to the art of leadership contains wisdom for us all, combining vivid stories with intellectual rigor. The authors honor the notion that we each have unique gifts to offer, and through our offering we can both serve the common good and, in so doing, derive a sense of meaning and purpose in our lives. - The Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop and Primate, Episcopal Church in the United States Chock-full of political wisdom as well as wisdom for the soul. Anyone with passion to make a difference in public life ought to read this book before taking another step. -Doris Kearns Goodwin, historian and author of No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt-The Home Front in World War II Leadership on the Line could also be called 'High Risk, High Payoff.' Having the courage to step forward with solutions regardless of an accepted pecking order is what real leadership is all about. Overcoming the perils of leading and the satisfaction that comes in doing so is the theme of this splendid work. -Lieutenant General Bernard E. Trainor, USMC (Ret.) Senior Fellow for National Security, Council on Foreign Relations There are many books about leadership, but I know of none more realistic about the risks and rewards of challenging an organization than this one. It is 'tough love' applied to the real world. -David S. Broder, The Washington Post This book goes well beyond making a significant contribution to the field of leadership. Heifetz and Linsky leverage their formidable professional and personal experiences to show all of us, at work and love and play, how to lead and live more fully. -Warren Bennis, University of Southern California, coauthor of the forthcoming Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values, and Defining Moments Shape Leaders About the Author Ronald A. Heifetz is a cofounder of the international leadership and consulting practice Cambridge Leadership Associates (CLA) and the founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is renowned worldwide for his innovative work on the practice and teaching of leadership. Marty Linsky is a cofounder of CLA and has taught at the Kennedy School for more than twenty-five years. Alexander Grashow is a Senior Advisor to CLA, having previously held the position of CEO. About the Author Ronald A. Heifetz is a cofounder of the international leadership and consulting practice Cambridge Leadership Associates (CLA) and the founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is renowned worldwide for his innovative work on the practice and teaching of leadership. Marty Linsky is a cofounder of CLA and has taught at the Kennedy School for more than twenty-five years. Alexander Grashow is a Senior Advisor to CLA, having previously held the position of CEO.