Transform your leadership with powerful lessons from the frontline
Leading on the Frontline brings humanitarian leadership into the boardroom, giving business leaders a powerful lesson in engagement, motivation, inspiration and innovation. Drawing upon a lifetime of humanitarian work in some of the world’s most difficult places, author Linda Cruse shares stories from the frontline that illustrate how to dig deep, inspire, thrive and more. Business leaders work on a different type of frontline - one that is no less volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous - and the ability to deal effectively with the unexpected sets great leaders apart from the herd. Tap into your own intuition, compassion and courage; keep composure under pressure; align vision with strategic goals; exercise mental toughness - these skills are required in the aftermath of a tsunami in Thailand or a landslide in Nepal, and in business, they propel good people to great feats of leadership.
This book presents extraordinary stories of extraordinary people who confront the best and worst of humanity every day. These people accomplish big things with few resources, prioritise progress over personal comfort and prevail over seemingly impossible odds. Their lessons contain multitudes for those who aspire to be great leaders - and the very best version of themselves.
- Learn the secrets of effective leadership through the frontline humanitarian lens
- Master the art of storytelling to build morale, strengthen teamwork and define problem solving paradigms
- See everyday situations in a new way, discover new possibilities and unearth new solutions
- Learn how extraordinary people confront fear, face death and find joy in the most difficult circumstances
Whether on the frontline or in the boardroom, the objective is the same: to achieve goals and exceed expectations. Leading on the Frontline equips leaders with the skills and perspective they need to emerge victorious in a relentlessly volatile, constantly changing world.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Sir Richard Branson xix
Acknowledgements xxiii
A note from the author: How it all began xxv
Preface xxvii
Part I: Courage 1
1 Courage 3
2 Trust 11
3 Be the voice 21
4 Facing fear 35
5 Know the context 43
6 Be bold 53
Part II: Passion 59
7 Meaningful connection 61
8 Listen and learn 67
9 Jump in 77
10 Have fun 89
11 Just ask 101
12 Take charge 109
Part III: Love 113
13 Purpose and passion 115
14 Dig deeper 123
15 Take care of yourself 133
16 Surrender 141
17 Compassion 151
18 Through the eyes of another 163
Part IV: Awareness 167
19 Be prepared 169
20 Empathy 179
21 Learn and improvise 185
22 Intuition 195
23 Know thyself 199
24 Know when to leave 209
25 Do not judge 215
Epilogue: Passion, purpose and playfulness 229
Index 241
