Crucibles of Leadership

How to Learn from Experience to Become a Great Leader

Business & Finance, Management & Leadership, Leadership, Management
Cover of the book Crucibles of Leadership by Robert J. Thomas, Harvard Business Review Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Robert J. Thomas ISBN: 9781422163290
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press Publication: March 24, 2008
Imprint: Harvard Business Review Press Language: English
Author: Robert J. Thomas
ISBN: 9781422163290
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Publication: March 24, 2008
Imprint: Harvard Business Review Press
Language: English

Experience may be a leader's best teacher--but there's a hitch. Two people can have identical experiences, but one blossoms while the other is depleted. The same can be said for any pair of fired CEOs, unsuccessful political candidates, or rookie supervisors.

In Crucibles of Leadership, Robert J. Thomas concludes that what matters most is what one makes of experience, particularly the traumatic and often unplanned crucible events that challenge one's identity as a leader. What distinguishes leaders who grow through a crucible experience? Their approach to learning. Like accomplished athletes or artists, they practice as strenuously as they perform. And because the line between performance and practice is often hard to discern, they learn how to practice while they perform.

But theirs is no ordinary practice. It's a regimen tailored to individual aspirations, motivations, and learning styles--a Personal Learning Strategy. Building on insightful and moving stories told by accomplished leaders, Thomas offers probing self-assessments and innovative tools designed to help you develop your own Personal Learning Strategy.

Provocative and original, with examples drawn from business and politics as well as from the inner workings of the Mormon Church and the Hell's Angels, Thomas's book will revolutionize the way you think about leadership and learning.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Experience may be a leader's best teacher--but there's a hitch. Two people can have identical experiences, but one blossoms while the other is depleted. The same can be said for any pair of fired CEOs, unsuccessful political candidates, or rookie supervisors.

In Crucibles of Leadership, Robert J. Thomas concludes that what matters most is what one makes of experience, particularly the traumatic and often unplanned crucible events that challenge one's identity as a leader. What distinguishes leaders who grow through a crucible experience? Their approach to learning. Like accomplished athletes or artists, they practice as strenuously as they perform. And because the line between performance and practice is often hard to discern, they learn how to practice while they perform.

But theirs is no ordinary practice. It's a regimen tailored to individual aspirations, motivations, and learning styles--a Personal Learning Strategy. Building on insightful and moving stories told by accomplished leaders, Thomas offers probing self-assessments and innovative tools designed to help you develop your own Personal Learning Strategy.

Provocative and original, with examples drawn from business and politics as well as from the inner workings of the Mormon Church and the Hell's Angels, Thomas's book will revolutionize the way you think about leadership and learning.

More books from Harvard Business Review Press

Cover of the book Sense and Respond by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Own the Room by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Innovative Teams (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series) by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Working Identity by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book HBR's 10 Must Reads on Managing People (with featured article "Leadership That Gets Results," by Daniel Goleman) by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book The Discipline of Teams by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Winning Investors Over by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Innovation as Usual by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Turning Goals into Results (Harvard Business Review Classics) by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Understanding Finance by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Strategy Maps by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Skills of an Effective Administrator by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book The Adventures of an IT Leader, Updated Edition with a New Preface by the Authors by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book One More Time by Robert J. Thomas
Cover of the book Giving Effective Feedback (HBR 20-Minute Manager Series) by Robert J. Thomas
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy