High Altitude Leadership: What the World's Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success

High Altitude Leadership: What the World's Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success

by Chris Warner, Don Schmincke
Released October 2008
Publisher(s): Jossey-Bass
ISBN: 9780470345030

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Book description

Leadership is often a risky, lonely role possessing nearly unbearable lows and fleeting highs. Despite this emotionally and intellectually draining roller coaster, a handful of leaders deliver stunning results, with great consistency. They push past current leadership trends in order to achieve the most extremely challenging goals. They don't fall prey to the platitudes or cliches we see so often see in leadership theory. Instead, they succeed by recognizing and surviving the dangers that challenge them as they take themselves and their teams to higher levels. These rare individuals are those that Chris Warner and Don Schmincke call High Altitude Leaders. In High Altitude Leadership they show how to become that kind of leader.The authors present a new approach to leadership development, based on ground-breaking scientific research, field-tested under the most brutal conditions on the most difficult summits, and successfully applied in the training of executives, management teams, and entrepreneurs throughout the world.

Table of contents

  2. Copyright
  3. Preface
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Introduction
    1. 0.1. Why Study Death Zone Leadership?
    2. 0.2. What You Will Learn
    3. 0.3. For Those Who Aren't Mountaineers
  6. 1. Danger #1 FEAR OF DEATH
    1. 1.1. Great Fear: The Nemesis of Great Leadership
    2. 1.2. How Do You Tame Your Fear?
    3. 1.3. How to Die and Take Action
      1. 1.3.1. Seek Fear
      2. 1.3.2. Kill Your Cherished Plans
      3. 1.3.3. Always Push Forward, but Do It Fast
      4. 1.3.4. Just Remember Death
    4. 1.4. Fear Conquered?
      1. 1.4.1. Key Learnings
  7. 2. Danger #2 SELFISHNESS
    1. 2.1. How Selfishness Hurts Us
      1. 2.1.1. The Root of Selfishness
      2. 2.1.2. Early Compelling Saga Examples
    2. 2.2. How to Implement a Compelling Saga
      1. 2.2.1. Step 1: Prepare for Crafting
      2. 2.2.2. Step 2: Base It on a Winning Strategy
      3. 2.2.3. Step 3: Make It Memorable
      4. 2.2.4. Step 4: Always Be Vigilant
      5. 2.2.5. Step 5: Go Back to Step 1
      6. 2.2.6. Key Learnings
  8. 3. Danger #3 TOOL SEDUCTION
    1. 3.1. Why Tool Seduction Happens
    2. 3.2. How to Detect Tool Seduction
      1. 3.2.1. Cultural Artifacts
      2. 3.2.2. Change Program of the Week
      3. 3.2.3. Company Size
      4. 3.2.4. Fascination with Formal Plans
      5. 3.2.5. Reward Desired Behavior
      6. 3.2.6. Behaviorally Select Your Tools
      7. 3.2.7. Ignore Résumés
      8. 3.2.8. Look in the Mirror
      9. 3.2.9. Adapt Your Tools to You, Not Vice Versa
      10. 3.2.10. Key Learnings
  9. 4. Danger #4 ARROGANCE
    1. 4.1. The Everest Laboratory
    2. 4.2. Evidence of an Arrogance Infection
    3. 4.3. How to Bring Humility to Arrogance
      1. 4.3.1. Grow Through Failure
      2. 4.3.2. Hire Better
      3. 4.3.3. Cultivate Inner Awareness
      4. 4.3.4. Identify and Coach Arrogant Leaders
      5. 4.3.5. Fire the Weak
      6. 4.3.6. Transform Your Meetings
      7. 4.3.7. Key Learnings
  10. 5. Danger #5 LONE HEROISM
    1. 5.1. How Lone Heroes Endanger Organizations
    2. 5.2. How to Bring Partnership Forward
      1. 5.2.1. Key Learnings
  11. 6. Danger #6 COWARDICE
    1. 6.1. How Cowardice Risks Companies
    2. 6.2. How to Instill Bravery
      1. 6.2.1. Shame
      2. 6.2.2. Truth, Not Motivational Speaking
      3. 6.2.3. Walk the Talk
      4. 6.2.4. Key Learnings
  12. 7. Danger #7 COMFORT
    1. 7.1. How Comfort Sabotages Your Greatness
    2. 7.2. Comfort's Evil Offspring: Politeness
    3. 7.3. Collateral Damage from Comfort
      1. 7.3.1. Deadweight
      2. 7.3.2. Phantom Leadership
      3. 7.3.3. Doomed Projects
      4. 7.3.4. Dissatisfied Customers
      5. 7.3.5. Blind Persistence Is Not Perseverance
    4. 7.4. How to Inspire Perseverance
      1. 7.4.1. Reveal the Truth, Not Motivational Posters
      2. 7.4.2. Just Take One More Step
      3. 7.4.3. Cut Off Deadweight
      4. 7.4.4. Align the Phantoms
      5. 7.4.5. Key Learnings
  13. 8. Danger #8 GRAVITY
    1. 8.1. Gravity: The Great Equalizer
      1. 8.1.1. Skill-Based Luck
      2. 8.1.2. Pure Luck
      3. 8.1.3. Key Learnings
  14. 9. Danger #9 THE JOURNEY BEGINS
    1. 9.1. Tom's Story: Survival in Career and Business
      1. 9.1.1. Luck
      2. 9.1.2. Gravity
      3. 9.1.3. Luck
      4. 9.1.4. Luck Again
      5. 9.1.5. Compelling Saga
      6. 9.1.6. Partnership
      7. 9.1.7. Perseverance
    2. 9.2. Beware the Three Small Mistakes
    3. 9.3. Keep the Passion Alive
    4. 9.4. Don't Conquer the Peak; Conquer Yourself
  15. Resources
  16. Notes

Product information

  • Title: High Altitude Leadership: What the World's Most Forbidding Peaks Teach Us About Success
  • Author(s): Chris Warner, Don Schmincke
  • Release date: October 2008
  • Publisher(s): Jossey-Bass
  • ISBN: 9780470345030