Leading on the Edge: Extraordinary Stories and Leadership Insights from The World's Most Extreme Workplace

by Rachael Robertson

Lessons on authentic leadership from the 58th annual Antarctic expeditionIn "Leading on the Edge," successful business speaker and consultant Rachael Robertson shares the lessons she learned as leader of a year-long expedition to the wilds of Antarctica. Leading eighteen strangers around the clock for a full year--through months of darkness and with no escape from the frigid cold, howling winds, and each other--Robertson learned powerful lessons about what real, authentic leadership is. Here, she offers a deeply honest and humorous account of what it takes to survive and lead in the harshest environment on Earth. What emerges from her graphic account is a series of powerful and practical lessons for business leaders and managers everywhere.Features practical leadership lessons that are particularly helpful for any leader who must get the best out of the team they've gotFeatures solutions to many challenges common to all workplacesIncludes real excerpts from Robertson's personal journals through twelve months of leading in the most challenging environment in the worldWritten by a popular speaker and business leader who has appeared at more than 350 national and international conferences and events for a wide range of industries

"Leading on the Edge" explains what it's like to take charge when you've no place to hide and how truly harsh environments can serve as a leadership laboratory that results in truly effective, authentic leadership.

Genres: Nonfiction, Leadership, Business

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Deborah Bower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed the mix of story telling with instruction throughout this book. The author describes her career path and reflects on the year she ran a research station in Antarctica. It is funny, inspiring and educational. She has particularly nailed the skill of applying her situations and revelations to scenarios that are common to everyone. Just loved it.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is both a business book on leadership and a memoir of a year spent in Antarctica. At my age, the memoir was the most interesting, but I do think her leadership lessons are worth the read as well. Many books about the polar regions are written by the scientists who find their way there for professional reasons. Robertson went looking for a challenging experience in leading a team. Learning about the Antarctic experience through the eyes of management rather than scientists was fascinating. Robertson used it as a laboratory for developing leadership techniques. She managed both scientists and “tradies”, those who kept the station functioning so the science could be accomplished. She spent a full year, 9 months of which were with only 18 people on station. She is now a well-known speaker for business groups around the world.

[Nilmini J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is not every day that you read about a high school friend’s adventures in Antarctica! (Rachael and I met when we were in the same Year 8 class, and we had an intimidating but hilarious homeroom teacher… but that’s another story).


It was an eye opener to read of her time as a Station Leader, and her career path leading to it. She writes with honesty, emotion and understanding, and gives great advice regarding leadership. I did laugh at some parts - yes, I wholeheartedly agree with her that the Wombles are better than Fraggle Rock - but also was saddened/shocked in one particular section. I particularly liked her strategies with dealing with triangles (go to the person with whom you’re having issues and don’t involve other people) and the Bacon Wars (focus on the genuine problem).

I would definitely recommend reading this, even if you are not in a management role.

[Holstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachael tells an absolutely amazing story about a year in the most remote, isolated continent, with good grace, humour and practical introspection. This book is a thoughtful blend of narrative and leadership advice, with personal journal extracts throughout the book balancing the "lessons learnt" summaries at the end of each chapter. Highly recommended read for anyone facing a difficult "Antarctic winter" at work i.e., a period of difficult change or situation where teams have to band together to solve problems where there are no "quick wins", and you need to create your own motivation and inclusive culture to stick it out.

[Linda Sands]

The greatest learning from this book.. the value of keeping a journal of your experiences and investing time to reflect on actions/decisions made. This is how we learn & improve.

[Jason Boonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend recommended Leading on the Edge to me. I was very interested to see how Rachael approached leadership in an environment that is dangerous and where the distinctions between home and the workplace are not able to be easily separated.

Rachael’s conversational style took me on a unique journey of her challenges and successes in the harsh Antarctic environment, where a wrong decision could either result in a horrific injury or death. Mild frostbite within a few seconds of taking a glove off should paint a very clear picture of the risks involved working in Antarctica. Rachael and her team managed this over a 12-month period.

Rachael is an inspiring leader both in thought and in action. It was a privilege to read her book and thank her for the time she put in writing it.

I encourage all readers who have an interest in leadership and are looking for a strong role model to emulate.

[Kiara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well structured and organised content, worth a read for a new manager or someone taking on new challenges for a digestable package of sound leadership lessons. I took away a few useful reminders, though nothing I didn't already know from my time spent implementing difficult business transformations.
My top takeaways were:
1. Very few decisions in life are irreversible - so take opportunities to stretch yourself!
2. Prepare yourself by reaching out - Rachael's anecdote of reaching out to Diana Patterson, the first female expedition leader from 20 years ago, was a memorable one
3. Get some media training - wasn't one of her lessons but a good reminder to get this off my to do list into to-done.
4. Preparing for emergencies / crisis leadership
5. 'No triangles' in terms of managing people, culture and teams - a useful phrase to manage for no tattle-taling and encouraging people to be adults, and manage feedback and conflict directly with one another
Happy to loan to anyone in my network who wants to skim through

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel Robertson, One Aussies who upped the ladder pronto, then write her handbook on managing and leading.
Note: if you’re going to use an English narrator, at least ensure they learn to say “Melbourne” like one of us.

Some of her life stories were amusing, most of her leadership lessons were obvious and just a tad self praising.

Best lessons:
Leading Vs Managing, they’re not the same.
Values (you have them or you don’t) Vs
Skills (can be learned)

Standout quotes:
“Stick it out. Tough times don’t last but tough people do.”

“when you have a disappointment in your career, people will be watching to see how you react.”

Disappointments:
I picked up the book hoping to read about Antartica, with some life lessons along the way. Too heavily weighted on the latter, particularly her early career.

2.5 stars, rounded up

[Andrew Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachael Robertson does a great job of telling stories that explain how she learned certain lessons.

Using her real time journals with later reflections on how things played out at the time could be repetitive but work very well together.

The 'Bacon Wars' will stay with me as a lesson in how seemingly trivial disagreements can mask deeper problems and trying to fix the symptom can be a big mistake.

The storytelling approach to explaining how she developed her leadership style make this a thoroughly enjoyable read which, rather than teaching me new things reinforced a lot of things I've learned, sometimes the hard way.

[Don Keast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the funniest leadership book ever written and one of the most insightful and practical. Rachael Robertson’s journey to become the leader of the Australian Antarctic Exhibition contains a wealth of leadership insights from her experience in one of the harshest climates on earth. Each chapter contains a number of leadership learning points. Chapters where disasters happen contain even more insights than those dealing with successes. Funny situations abound from penguins who refuse to socially distance to a work team torn apart by bacon. A great read for leaders and everyone else.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book by Rachael Robertson. Her real stories of her journey and learnings that she has been able to share as the Team Leader in Antarctica. It was recommended to me in my role as a new manager and I could so relate. Thanks so much for sharing. It’s also inspired me to hopefully one day be able to visit Antarctica. I especially loved the story of the “bacon wars”. Such an easy book to read and benefit from. Highly recommend. I have since recommended to others.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy to read book. Interesting leadership insights, but also interesting to learn about Antarctica, psychology, culture, and, the crew dynamics as they are isolated during their stay through the long Winter. Don't be put off by the idea this is a 'self-help' book genre, it is much more compelling. Well written in honest detail. It comes across as an autobiography 'snapshot' in many ways.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book , i loved following Rachael's exciting 12 month stay in Antarctica.
Her daily journal updates gave me great insight as to how it would be going to and living there for a year. Any leader or aspiring leader will benefit from reading this book.

[David Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review here: (a nerdy review written with a risk focus)

And: go and watch a penguin from time-to-time.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring read. Couldn’t put it down.

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. It is defiantly a must read. As a young leader and someone who is very new to managing teams in remote areas it was extremely helpful.

[Hazel Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antarctic books are my hobby. Because I attended a brilliantly paced RACV lunch talk by Rachael, my husband bought the autographed 'Leading From the Edge' book. (Actually Rachael gave him one for asking the first question from the audience , but he insisted on paying for it, as he's married to an author and says authors should always be paid for their books).

Rachael's tone in the talk was well balanced, but her obvious leadership qualities came through. Since I'd been on an Antarctic expedition in 2001 as writer I could appreciate her icy anecdotes from the point of view of a female. Rachael was Station Leader at Davis, the Australian Base.

At first I thought the book was a bit too process and procedures orientated but once she started the Antarctic training in Tasmania, the book flowed. Each chapter has leadership hints in a recap, and it would make an excellent management text which confirmed my view that the Station leader's job is the hardest of all the expeditioners, and especially if female.

Great to read an autobiography of an adventurous and skilled female who can talk so well on the speaker circuit.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Rachael's book after hearing her speak. She was an amazing speaking and is an amazing communicator in this book which is a combined journal of her experiences during a year in Antarctica leading the team at David base and her learnings on leadership.
Full of food for thought, insights and a bit of adventure (after all, Antarctica!). I'm not much one for leadership, self-help books, but I did enjoy this, it felt real and I liked that she was comfortable to include her bad moments and her important learnings about looking after herself too. I found this thoroughly enjoyable and motivating.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book. Well written by someone that achieves so much as a leader but does so with openness and leveraging simple key themes that we all could and should live by.

Rachael is an inspiration to those that don't believe in themselves, and those that do. She challenges herself to not fall over at each hurdle and through doing so inspires the reader to reach further in their lives. She is clearly a very intelligent leader but is humble enough to know she has to step outside her comfort zone to reach success.

[James Penman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, practical account into how leadership plays out in the workplace (and in a fairly extreme one!). Robertson presents her story honestly in a manner which is easy to follow, and enjoyable to read. I'm currently studying management at university and, for me, it provided a great case study of management theories in practice. This gets only 4 stars because I thought some lessons repeated themselves through the book. Overall, a well-thought, enjoyable account of Robertson's year in Antarctica.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

While a fairly simply written book, I enjoyed the sheer challenge that Rachael was setting herself up for and admired that. As soon as the team got to Antarctica I was hooked on the minutiae of daily life on station. The bacon wars stuff just rang so true and the no triangles policy is so simple yet so important in cultivating authentic and open relationships. I'd have loved to hear more about how the post Antarctica experience was for her.

[Richard Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book. I was rather non-nonplussed about having to read this for work. Antarctic, as beautiful and wild as it may be, doesn't (didn't) really interest me. Goodness what a lesson! Fantastic practical leadership examples and an easy read for those that don't like 'heavy' books. Many many take aways for my everyday life, both in and out of work. High recommended book people!

[Wenhsiu · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, the highlight of this book was the detailed account of the selection process for Antarctic Expedition Leader ... recommend for anyone who has to lead a team (or teams) through challenging circumstances!

[Amy Paterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories, inspirational leadership insights.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring albeit simple, interesting because of Antartica

[Melichichi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 3 words: courage, awareness, self-reflection

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found some of the advice in this book pretty common sense, I really enjoyed a lot of the anecdotes about life in Antarctica and the staff from other research stations.