The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership

192 Pages·2004·0.83 MB·English

by  Steve Farber

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 2004 by Extreme Leadership, Inc.
Published by Dearborn Trade Publishing
A Kaplan Professional Company
All rights reserved. The text of this publication, or any part thereof, may
not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permis-
sion from the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Farber, Steve.
The radical leap : a personal lesson in extreme leadership / by Steve
Farber.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-7931-8568-8
1. Leadership. 2. Organizational change. 3. Organizational
effectiveness. 4. Management. I. Title.
HD57.7 .F365 2004
658.4′092—dc22
2003020322
Dearborn Trade books are available at special quantity discounts to use
for sales promotions, employee premiums, or educational purposes.
Please call our Special Sales Department to order or for more informa-
tion at 800-245-2665, e-mail [email protected], or write to Dearborn
Trade Publishing, 30 South Wacker Drive, Suite 2500, Chicago, IL
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Advance Praise for The Radical Leap
“Steve Farber has hit a home run with The Radical Leap. He has
transitioned from being my all-time favorite leadership consult-
ant to become my favorite leadership ‘novelist.’ Written in the
style of a mystery novel, The Radical Leap weaves a tale of leader-
ship with passion and reveals that the mystery of ‘extreme’ lead-
ership is love—love of the people with whom you work, love for
your business, and love of the customers you serve.”
—Carl L. English, President and CEO–Gas Division,
Consumers Energy Company, Jackson, Michigan
“The Radical Leap will capture your heart, appeal to your sense
of discovery, and challenge your intellect in less than 200 pages.
Farber is both a creative storyteller and a serious practitioner of
the authentic reality of leadership: what it is, what it requires,
and most important, what it provides to the lucky few who dis-
cover its essence. If you want to challenge yourself to take the
risks that are necessary to really make a difference, read The Rad-
ical Leap and apply it. It is a gem.”
—Terry Pearce, Author, Leading Out Loud; Coauthor, Clicks
and Mortar; and President, Leadership Communication
“Full of surprises and fun to read, The Radical Leap is a roller
coaster of a leadership parable. Steve Farber takes us headlong
into a journey of self-discovery and a search for the leader in each
of us. At once philosophical and pragmatic, this is a must-read
for those who lead . . . or want to.”
—Boyd L. Clarke, CEO, The Tom Peters Company, and
Coauthor, The Leader’s Voice
“The Radical Leap is more than a powerful insight into the
essence of effective leadership; it’s a journey that brought clarity
iii
to why I do what I do. As a leader of my organization, I’ve often
found shelter in my own comfort zone. Steve Farber changed all
that. Through Steve’s personal lesson, I rediscovered my own
passion, which became contagious among those I love.”
—Christine Shimasaki, Executive Vice President, Sales and
Marketing, San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau
“Within the context of a modern parable, Steve Farber shares prac-
tical leadership wisdom with us. His model of ‘love, energy, audac-
ity, and proof’ is one that every aspiring leader should know.”
—Oren Harari, PhD, Author, The Leadership Secrets of Colin
Powell
“In The Radical Leap, Steve Farber is the Carlos Castaneda of
the business world, who meets his Don Juan and discovers a new
way to move the cheese. This is a parable with punch—read it and
lead.”
—Carl A. Hammerschlag, MD, Author, The Dancing Healers
and The Theft of the Spirit
“The Radical Leap is a story that describes the bold shift leaders
must take to reengage the commitment and ignite the passion of
the people around them. Anyone who reads this will show up
differently to work tomorrow, ready and equipped to practice
Extreme Leadership.”
—Christine Landon, Manager, Next Generation Leadership
Development, Agilent Technologies, Inc.
“Anyone who dares to make a difference must read The Radical
Leap. Steve Farber understands that leadership always requires
unconventional thinking, but now, more than ever, it requires
what he characterizes as Extreme Leadership. The Radical Leap
will become one of our leadership tools for continuous transfor-
mation at our company.”
—Greg Reid, Chief Marketing Officer, Yellow Corporation
iv
Introduction
vii
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
11
Thursday
31
Friday
65
Saturday
101
Sunday
129
Monday
139
Later On
157
The Radical Leap

A Daily Handbook for Extreme Leaders 163

Acknowledgments 179
v

■ I N T R O D U C T I O N
Business parables are popular, and chances are you’ve
gobbled up a few. You’ve managed for a minute, let’s say,
or moved your cheese. You’ve fished, gone gung-ho, and
created raving fans. Well, I reluctantly admit that I’ve read
my share as well. “Reluctantly” may seem like an odd com-
ment coming from the author of the book you now hold in
your hands, but my hope is that reading this book will be
a different experience—that this story will stand out from
the parable pack. I wanted to write something a little . . .
well . . . grittier. A little funkier, maybe. Something with
snap and humor and insight all in the same package. Some-
thing that will genuinely entertain you while it helps you
transform your business and your leadership abilities. Not
to mention something with a healthy dose of humility.
The characters you’re about to meet are “crossbreeds”
of my experience and my imagination. They represent the
people I’ve met, the teachers I’ve had, and the clients I’ve
worked with over the past decade and a half. Some scenes
are true and accurate depictions of actual events; some
vii
have been just plain fabricated from my twitching gray mat-
ter. I’m not going to say which are which, but I suspect
you’d be surprised if you knew the answer. The principles,
however, are as real, as important, and as crucial as any-
thing you’ll find in the most scholarly of tomes. Maybe—
dare I say it—even more so.
I invite you to start at the beginning and cruise all the
way through to the final pages. It won’t take long: a plane
ride, maybe, or a couple of lunch breaks. And ultimately,
when you get to the end, I invite you to take up the chal-
lenge of Extreme Leadership. At the very least, I hope you
enjoy the reading as much as I enjoyed the writing.
viii
Tuesday