Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading

Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky of Harvard's Kennedy School argue that pushing for change is dangerous, because asking people to give up familiar habits and loyalties provokes resistance. Their 2002 book distinguishes routine technical problems from adaptive challenges that require people to change. The authors recommend getting on the balcony to see the larger pattern, thinking politically, orchestrating conflict, giving the work back to the people who must do it and holding steady under pressure. They also offer ways to protect oneself in the process.

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Seth Godin: “Scary good. And just plain scary. Worth your time.”