The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership

by Steve Farber

Book Overview

A new, tenth anniversary edition of the leadership classic that was hailed as one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time. In his exciting and timeless business parable, The Radical Leap, Steve... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1427797927
• ISBN13: 9781427797926
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Kaplan Publishing
• Length: 183 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

a student's review

As a college student I was not thrilled to be given the assignment of reading a book on the topic of leadership. I therefore turned to a friend and business owner who does a lot of reading on this subject. He recommended Steve Farber's The Radical Leap: a Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership and I loved every page of it! The Radical Leap's parable proved to be interesting and easy to read, a wonderful change from most of my text books. After finishing the book in one day I was excited at the prospect of using Farber's advice when I start my full time job after graduating this semester. Using a parable in which the characters discuss the meaning of leadership and how to become an extreme leader Farber teaches his readers how to become such a leader. He provides excellent examples and raises interesting questions for the reader to ponder. Too often when someone reads an informative book they reach the end and wonder what exactly they should have learned or how it applies to their life. Even if they do understand the concepts, they don't know where or how to start applying them. Such is not the case with Farber's book. If you need help applying Farber's ideas after reading The Radical Leap he gives you the specific questions you need to answer. As a person who was hesitant about reading anything on the topic of leadership I can honestly say that The Radical Leap: a Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber has given me a new perspective. This book is excellent and I recommend it to anyone who is serious about pursuing a position of leadership or who wants to gain additional insight on the topic leadership. This book gives you a new and positive outlook at the workplace.

Excellent Perspective of Leadership

I first heard of this topic during a talk by Steve Farber at a recent conference. I was so excited about this approach that the book was on order before I left the conference! Someone has said that there is nothing new in this book. In a way, that is correct, as these concepts have been discussed over many years. However, I admire Steve's talent at putting these concepts together in a way that is so simple and direct. Following the genre of a fictional short story to put forth his theories is just a fun way to get these theories across. I happen to strongly believe in the four major points, particularly the premise that says you have to love, i.e, have a passion for, what you are doing. If you do not have a passion for what you are doing, you are doing a major disservice to your coworkers and your customers, so go do something else! Steve highlights that concept very well, as well as the following precepts of energy, audacity and proof. For those who are serious about self-examination and taking actions to become more effective leaders, this book will provide tremendous insight towards those goals.

Trust and love and humility are hardcore business principles

Imagine someone audacious enough to say that "trust and love and humility are hardcore business principles."All around us, in the boardrooms and business offices of any number of formerly credible companies, many of the players have literally shredded the concept of honesty - the building block of trust; the only love is the love of compensation packages and power; and humility is a foreign concept long ago discarded for megalomania and self-righteousness and celebrity status. Imagine someone audacious enough to suggest that people who work in business can change the world for the better.Doing whatever it takes to meet or exceed analysts' short-term earnings projections to raise the value of the stock and increase shareholder value, now that is a readily observable hardcore business principle. Or at a more micro level, as one boss said to me early on in my career, "Your job is to help me make my bonus."Imagine someone audacious enough to suggest that we need to reclaim our right and power to set an example of what's right in business and everywhere else, and to challenge the examples that are not.In the past few years in business and in government, we have been confronted daily with evidence of an American culture in which fear drives behavior to conform rather than confront, in which intimidation greets those who would choose to live by personal codes of ethics.And so it is a radical leap to suggest that trust and love and humility, and a desire to change the world, and the right to stand up for personal values have anything other than a wishful place in business.Enter Steve, one of the duo of main characters in Steve Farber's The Radical Leap; A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership. Steve, a 40-something leadership management consultant tutored under the wing and influence of some of the leading thinkers and writers in the field of leadership, is disillusioned by the lack of meaningful change among his clients. Despite his best efforts to preach and teach the art and the practice of exemplary leadership - mobilizing others to want to struggle for shared aspiration - he finds himself surrendering to a world in which the title leader has been cheapened by so many merely posing as leaders, by so many who simultaneously empower employees and warn them "don't screw up and check with me before you do anything."The curious irony is that a casual polling of 20-somethings along the boardwalk in his San Diego beach neighborhood reveals that this generation - and by extension our next generation of leaders - look for and aspire to the very qualities in a leader that Steve has been preaching.Enter Edg, the second of the main characters. Edg, a scruffy 60-something on a skateboard, first overhears our leadership management consultant as he is conducting his informal poll along the boardwalk. He wants to participate in the poll too, and offers his definition of leadership. And so begins the audacious lesson for Steve and for all of us, the lucky observers,

The Radical Leap : A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership

Brilliant! Steve Farber is an awesome story teller. I would recommend this book to anybody who loves a good story and wants to see the light! I found this book to be uplifting and a true eye opener. Read it. You'll love it.

A Life Changing Read

Steve Farber has managed to give birth to a book which might have had Richard Bach's ILLUSIONS and WHO MOVED MY CHEESE as parents. I encourage everyone to read, learn and practice Farber's formula in Radical Leap: a personal lesson in extreme leadership. Here's a personal lesson that can bring you to a transpersonal way of sharing your life with "inspired audacity" among other qualities. I'm looking forward to more from Steve's delightful fount of wisdom and practicality. An inspiring must read!