"If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space."
--Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Mt. Everest
A leader's job--in a radically changing world--is standing on the cliff
edge, getting a grip on unfamiliar landscapes, and acquiring the skills
for leading the enterprise into new territory. In a world facing the
unprecedented challenges of global pandemic and economic distruption,
every leader needs to find the edge for leaping across the breach and
breaking new ground on the other side.
Michael Useem provides rare insight into how ten leaders confronted hard
realities. He looked close-in at the lide and work of people such as
Bill McNabb of Vanguard, Jeffrey Lurie of the Philadelphia Eagles, Alex
Gorsky of Johnson & Johnson, and Tricia Griffith of Progressive
Insurance. His "you are there" profiles chronicle fateful decisions such
as:
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Meeting the concerns of a next-generation workforce that considers
inclusiveness an integral part of business
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Developing a strategy for growth in a market that is cratering
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Escaping the confines of an insane, always-on, 24/7 world to learn
about the real, granular changes happening in the marketplace
Useem's profiles of leaders on the edge provide the inspiration and the
guidance we all need for adapting and thriving in an era of massive
disruption and continuous transformation.