Syncretics Group

Leading at The Edge

“Shackleton’s extraordinary adventure demonstrates invaluable, practical traits of leadership. I could not recommend Leading at the Edge more highly.”

John H. Dalton
Former Secretary of the Navy

“Fascinating. Great story after story, along with important learnings about leadership.”

         Ed Lawler
         Director, Center for
         Effective Organizations, USC

Leading at the Edge: Leadership Lessons from the Extraordinary Saga of Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition (second edition)

Dennis N. T. Perkins with Margaret P. Holtman and Jillian B. Murphy

Stranded in the frozen Antarctic sea for nearly two years, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his team of 27 polar explorers endured extreme temperatures, hazardous ice, dwindling food, and complete isolation. Despite these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the group remained cohesive, congenial, and mercifully alive - a fact that speaks not just to luck but to an unparalleled feat of leadership. Drawing on this amazing story, Leading at The Edge demonstrates the importance of a strong leader in times of adversity, uncertainty, and change. The book reveals 10 timeless leadership lessons that show readers how to:

Instill optimism while staying grounded in reality
Have the courage to step up to risks worth taking
Consistently reinforce the team message
Set a personal example
Find something to celebrate and something to laugh about
Never give up.

Part adventure tale, part leadership guide, the second edition features new case studies of the strategies in action, tools to uncover and resolve conflicts, and expanded resources. An updated epilogue compares the leadership styles of the famous polar explorers Shackleton, Amundsen, and Scott.

Today's leaders have much to learn from this gripping account of survival against all odds. Leading at The Edge will help them bring order to chaos - and achieve success in the face of adversity.

Praise for Leading at the Edge

Media Reviews

The New York Times: "Perkins is a connoisseur of leadership in circumstances of great peril...This thoughtful work...distills 10 principles from [Shackleton's] survival experiences and offers them as a guide for business leadership at the edge."

National Post (Canada): "Mr. Perkins presents his views on the art of leadership with the candour and conviction of someone who's clearly been there, and his gripping description of the arduous conditions that Shackleton and his comrades endured make Leading at the Edge a real page-tuner. This is a work that should definitely be read by anyone who aspires to assume the mantle of leadership. It's one I believe is destined to be regarded as one of the most important contributions to management literature we've seen in recent years."

Book Page: "Leading at the Edge demonstrates that executives who want to stretch the bounds of organizational inertia have much to learn from those who have tested the limits of human endurance. In addressing Shackleton's adventure and business leadership, Perkins combines two subjects over which much ink has been spilled in recent years -- and yet he has managed to synthesize that material into a distinctive work filled with remarkable insights."

Expert Reviews

"Fascinating. Great story after story, along with important learnings about leadership."
ED LAWLER, Director, Center for Effective Organizations, USC.

"Dennis Perkins uses Shackleton's extraordinary adventure to demonstrate invaluable, practical traits of leadership. Leading at the Edge is a well-written, power-packed read. I could not recommend it more highly."
JOHN H. DALTON, Former Secretary of the Navy, and Chairman and CEO, Metal Technology, Inc.

"It is ironic that a 90-year-old story of courage and endurance should have lessons for the Internet Age-but it does! Anyone attempting to lead in the face of uncertainty and adversity will learn much from this tremendously engaging and compelling book."
DAVID A. NADLER, Chairman, Delta Consulting Group, Inc., and author of Champions of Change and Competing by Design

"Perkins offers a unique and refreshing perspective on the challenge of leadership. His insights-and skillful use of the Shackleton expedition as a case study make the book a valuable contribution and a must-read."
WILLIAM H. DONALDSON, Co-founder, Chairman, and CEO, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Inc., founding Dean, Professor of Management, Yale School of Management, Former Chairman and CEO, The New York Stock Exchange, Inc.

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