For one of my college courses this term I have been reading the book Leading At The Edge by Dennis Perkins. The background is that he uses the inspirational Antarctic journey of Robert Shackleton and his crew, as they survive against all odds and the blistering elements, as a case for which he proposes his 10 strategies for leading at the edge. While I find some of the content in this book to be interesting and useful, it is somewhat too simplistic and doesn’t provide anything very actionable or groundbreaking. Here are the 10 strategies:

1. Vision and Quick Victories: Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives.
2. Symbolism and Personal Example: Set a personal example with visible, memorable symbols and behaviors.
3. Optimism and Reality: Instill optimism and self-confidence, but stay grounded in reality.
4. Stamina: Take care of yourself: Maintain your stamina and let go of guilt.
5. The Team Message: Reinforce the team message constantly: “We are one - we live or die together”.
6. Core Team Values: Minimize Status Differences and insist on courtesy and mutual respect.
7. Conflict: Master conflict - deal with anger in small doses, engage dissidents, and avoid needless power struggles.
   
8. Lighten Up!: Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about.
9. Risk: Be willing to take the Big Risk.
10. Tenacious Creativity: Never give up - there’s always another move.

Now I suppose it is important to say that the author has a military background, and thus some of his strategies seem more fitting for the war zone than the boardroom, but the ideas to translate to some extent. The majority of the book is either personal examples or relating specific cases (often the Shackleton expedition), but these are the main lessons learned. It’s nice that Perkins points out the importance of these tasks, but doesn’t always suggest the best ways of doing so; for example, finding the balance between optimism and reality is something that takes tact and experience.

While reading the book I was able to relate some of the main concepts to experiences that I have shared in my own life. In particular, thoughts of Lighten Up! bring me to my experience as an intern for Nike at their World Head Quarters in Beaverton, Oregon. Stay tuned to find out soon about how Nike realizes this strategy for its employees.