The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber

The business world is ready for an entirely new approach to leadership. Steve Farber has written theby BelindaEllsworth

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July 01, 2009: The book I just finished is The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership by Steve Farber. This book started out a little slow for me, but at the end of the day I found that I liked it. The book had an interesting twist.

The tale resonated with me because it demonstrates how a lot of us end up just going through the motions in life. We set ourselves on a path and just continue on it, long after the thrill is gone.

The book leads you to ask yourself "Do I still even have a passion?" It's not a book for everyone, because the effect is really an internal one. If you read it and take the time to be introspective, the lessons in the book can be very helpful. It may be hard to predict whether the book is going to have real value for any particular individual, because the impact is really based on the reader's response. If you're looking for "how tos" for leadership you're not going to find it in this book.

Farber's tone is a little sarcastic. He mocks some of the normal business clichés. But, if you've compromised in your business life and strayed from what drives you, this book will probably really hit you. While I read it, I found myself reflecting on what my WHY is: My mission is to make a difference in the lives of leaders. THAT is what drives me, it's what excites me, and it's the reason I do what I do. But, with this book in hand, I had to think about some of the projects I take on and how much they sap my energy and aren't in alignment with my mission. That is something that can make a book worth more than just what's written on the page. It's not information (external data) it's enlightenment (internal work).

I'd like to recommend this book to anyone who is finding themselves just trudging along, wondering why they aren't energized, excited, or otherwise engaged in what they're doing any more. People follow those who are passionate about what they do. If you've lost your passion, you need to recapture it. Using this book as a jumping-off point to assess your work would be a great gift to give yourself and may just make a difference in your results as a leader.

An Unbelievable Parable to be Livedby Anonymous

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April 19, 2006: I first heard author Steve Farber at a state tourism conference in California in 2002. He noted to the audience that he was formulating a book to share his experiences to date on leadership. I was new to my postion as Executive Director of a visitors bureau and had experienced the 'OS!M' (read the book) of leavng a well paying, secure job to pursue what I knew I loved. After hearing Steve, I found myself starting nearly every public presentation with the words 'I Love My Job' to which I often received the reply 'we can tell.' Now, four years later, I've finally read 'The Radical Leap.' This expression of Steve's 'Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership' is dead on. I live to LEAP and it is gratifying to see my staff and volunteers cultivate love, generate energy, attempt audacious things, and provide proof with tangible results, while creating more OSM!S for their leader on almost a daily basis. My only disappointment (and I have not read Steve's newest release, 'Radical Edge') is that he did not share his ideas about in-the-box, outside-the-box, and what-box thinkers. I have found them most useful in identifying other 'Extreme Leaders' across organizational lines. LEAP on Steve, I may not be your greatest fan but am surely a raving fan. I will undoubtedly re-read 'The Radical Leap' for years to come.