Leadership Passages: The Personal and Professional Transitions That Make or Break a Leader 
asked by bookworks on November 28, 2006 9:21 PM
Leaders face numerous critical crossroads in their careers, moments that can provide extraordinary learning and growth opportunities or ensnare them and prevent further development. The good thing about these passages is that they’re predictable, and with proper preparation, leaders not only can survive them to become stronger but can use these experiences to enhance their leadership, compassion, and effectiveness. This book lays out thirteen specific “leadership passages” based on research, interviews, and coaching of senior executives in such well-known companies as Johnson & Johnson, Novarits, Intel, GE, and Bank of America. For each passage, the authors describe what to expect, how the passage constitutes a choice point, and what effective leaders do to navigate and grow from the challenge. Some of the passages include: moving into a leadership role for the first time, dealing with significant failure for which you are responsible, derailing/losing your job, being acquired/merging, losing faith in the system, understanding the importance of children, family and friends, and personal upheavals such as divorce, illness, and death. The authors provide a wealth of practical tools and techniques to improve your leadership, along with real-life examples from recognizable leaders and breakthrough ways in which companies can use the concept of leadership passages to grow talent.
Reviews
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This book focuses on an interesting premise- that leadership is significantly developed by key experiences and the person's reactions to them. Many of the key experiences need to be actively sought out and accepted such as accepting a stretch assignment or living in a different country. Others are often a matter of time such as joining a new company, coping with a bad boss, or facing personal upheaval. Another- dealing with failure- is in between with an element of decision in choosing to take risks and stretch oneself, and an element of time. What links all these experiences together is that they must be dealt with honestly in order to learn from them. The book does a good job of presenting these ideas and more, with examples of people who have gone through the passages- some successful, others not. While few will agree with everything presented, it raises good questions and should be appreciated for that.
reviewed by 90210 on November 29, 2006 4:53 AM
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A light reader with diagnostics and Rx that is heavily oriented to senior leaders' career peaks and waves but it has great personal advice for aspiring leaders' and mid careerist's leadership tool box. Also, valuable advice for organizational leaders that shape high performance work cultures. If you buy into life long learning philosophy - this book is for you. If you think learning is for the birds. . .I recommend you still get it - it might open your mind to a new and re-focused you.
reviewed by casurf on November 29, 2006 6:41 PM
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Transitions are a part of everyone's life. And since the publication of Judith Viorst's "Necessary Losses," transitions has become and increasingly popular subject for authors.
Dotlich, Noel, and Walker in "Leadership Passages" cover thirteen common personal and professional passages (transitions) that they say make or break a leader...in fact, they can make or break any human, not just leaders. The authors based this book on their work as executives within major companies, business advisors and executive development consultants.
Passages are predictable and inevitable. Most will go through more than one. Since passages are intense, they can destroy one's spirit. At the same time, they represent an opportunity as those who successfully navigate these difficult currents of life will experience real personal growth. And if not handled with emotional and intellectual honesty, these passages lead to danger.
Most people, the authors have found, who move through life experiencing one success after another are shallow. They distinguish between the senior executive who has been strengthened and deepened by his/her passages and failure, from those who have not. The former are the most effective leaders.
"Leadership Passages" is filled with examples and covers the following transitions.
1. Joining a company.
2. Moving into a leadership role.
3. Accepting the stretch assignment.
4. Getting responsibility for a business.
5. Dealing with significant failure for which you were responsible.
6. Coping with a bad boss and competitive peers.
7. Losing your job or being passed over for the promotion.
8. Being part of an acquisition or merger.
9. Living in a different country.
10. Finding meaningful balance between work and family.
11. Letting go of ambition.
12. Facing personal upheaval.
13. Losing faith in the system
There is something in this book for everyone. This is a book that will have value at many points in your career. And these passages will test your resiliency, your ability to accept responsibility, your ability to reflect, seek support, develop and seek refuge, use a professional network, gain perspective, take risks, refine, and pass on your experience.
Dotlich, Noel, and Walker in "Leadership Passages" cover thirteen common personal and professional passages (transitions) that they say make or break a leader...in fact, they can make or break any human, not just leaders. The authors based this book on their work as executives within major companies, business advisors and executive development consultants.
Passages are predictable and inevitable. Most will go through more than one. Since passages are intense, they can destroy one's spirit. At the same time, they represent an opportunity as those who successfully navigate these difficult currents of life will experience real personal growth. And if not handled with emotional and intellectual honesty, these passages lead to danger.
Most people, the authors have found, who move through life experiencing one success after another are shallow. They distinguish between the senior executive who has been strengthened and deepened by his/her passages and failure, from those who have not. The former are the most effective leaders.
"Leadership Passages" is filled with examples and covers the following transitions.
1. Joining a company.
2. Moving into a leadership role.
3. Accepting the stretch assignment.
4. Getting responsibility for a business.
5. Dealing with significant failure for which you were responsible.
6. Coping with a bad boss and competitive peers.
7. Losing your job or being passed over for the promotion.
8. Being part of an acquisition or merger.
9. Living in a different country.
10. Finding meaningful balance between work and family.
11. Letting go of ambition.
12. Facing personal upheaval.
13. Losing faith in the system
There is something in this book for everyone. This is a book that will have value at many points in your career. And these passages will test your resiliency, your ability to accept responsibility, your ability to reflect, seek support, develop and seek refuge, use a professional network, gain perspective, take risks, refine, and pass on your experience.
reviewed by borat on November 29, 2006 7:28 PM
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Authors David L. Dotlich, James L. Noel and Norman Walker connect the growing body of work about the emotional intelligence of leaders with the practice of executive coaching and leadership development. Where does emotional intelligence come from, and how can you stimulate its development in the next generation of leaders? The authors' answer is that growth is indivisible from pain and change. Any great leader fights personal and professional battles, and earns a few scars. The bottom line: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. For individual leaders-in-training, the question is how to grow after being hit by life's curveballs. For firms, the question is how to incorporate executives' personal lives and career setbacks into their development as leaders. In this regard, the book bridges a gap in executive development literature. We very highly recommend it to those experiencing difficult transitions, and to human resource and development professionals.
reviewed by vern on November 29, 2006 7:31 PM