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The Radical Edge: Stoke Your Business, Amp Your Life, and Change the World
In his bestselling book The Radical Leap , Steve Farber introduced readers to Extreme Leadership, showing them how to renew their passion and excitement and become committed to changing the world for the better by disregarding normal constraints.Now, Farber takes readers to an even higher level of self-discovery in The Radical Edge . Management guru Steve is back, working with young Senior VP Cameron Summerfield, who has superstar sales skills but a severe and demoralizing leadership style. Along the way, both Steve and Cameron learn how taking responsibility for making the future markedly better than the present can improve the world. Readers will learn answers to these •How can people amp up their lives to amazing levels of achievement?•If individuals assume personal responsibility, can customers, companies, and employees change for the better?•Is it really possible to shake off inertia and transform your work—and your life?"The best book you’ll read this year. Captivating from the first page and jam packed with invaluable lessons. This is a must read. The Radical Edge is terrific!" --Jason Jennings New York Times bestselling author It’s Not The Big That Eat The Small – It’s The Fast That Eat The Slow, Less is More and Think BIG Act Small "Farber’s style is disarmingly honest as he gives us a playbook for harnessing the power of the human spirit. Invite your team to read The Radical Edge and you’ll have a lasting framework to move your life and business forward." --Simon Billsberry CEO Kineticom (#33 on the Inc. 500, 2005)
176 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2006
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73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 26, 2019
Interesting and quick read.
Plenty to pull from each story.
Am a bit tired of the parable type books. This whole book is a set of stories and people surprising others with knowledge and rod bits.
Still got some interesting take away and finished it in 3 bus trips to and from work!
Plenty to pull from each story.
Am a bit tired of the parable type books. This whole book is a set of stories and people surprising others with knowledge and rod bits.
Still got some interesting take away and finished it in 3 bus trips to and from work!
November 5, 2023
Another short fable by Steve Farber, The Radical Edge takes up where The Radical Leap left off. Steve, the leadership consultant, is handed another consulting job, this time for an immature senior VP of sales at a mortgage company. The SVP was handed the job because he could produce results, but had no skills in leading others to do the same. As such, he was causing high turmoil and turnover amongst his team. The CEO calls Steve in as a last-ditch effort to turn the SVP into a leader.
Steve and the SVP have a series of improbable encounters, much like in The Radical Leap, where strangers impart their leadership advice with love and care. In the end, the SVP decides that his true passion is just to make money and that he's not cut out to lead others, and asks for a demotion. Problem solved... I guess?
The leadership lessons taught in this book focus on three things:
1. Carry around a "Wake-Up Pad" (WUP) around with you at all times. Scan your environment and jot down your observations as they happen. Then ponder on what you collected and try to learn from them and draw connections. Then, talk to others about your ideas. When a good idea strikes, pursue it.
2. To gain the "Radical Edge," you have to successfully stoke your business, maximize your joy and meaning, and change the world for everyone.
3. Regarding changing the world, you are supposed to define how you want the world to be different, act as though your every action has a direct impact on the world, don't judge yourself on the outcome of your efforts, and never try to change the world alone.
Here's my personal opinion. The Wake-Up Pad is generally a good idea, although it's nothing new to me to be observant and note the things around me. It's clumsy toting around a notebook, but he did say at one point that you can use a phone or PDA. Good enough.
The concept of the "Radical Edge" is too vague to be practicable. Successfully stoke your business? That's like saying, "to be a leader, you must have a successful business and put all your energy toward it," isn't it?
The second point, maximizing your joy and meaning, is later discussed as "amp it up" or "find your frequency." You enjoy listening to the radio if you find the right channel. This harkens again back to the "Passion Hypothesis" that Cal Newport derided in So Good They Can't Ignore You (Newport 2012) and that Farber advocated for as "love" in The Radical Leap (Farber 2014). I'm still leaning with Newport on this one; not everyone is going to love their job, or find joy and meaning in it. Does that despoil their chances for finding the so-called Radical Edge and not being an "Extreme Leader"? Perhaps so.
The third point, that you should aim to change the world, is an ambitious one. I might agree with Farber on this again, although his prescriptions for how to do it in a social, loving context chafes against my introverted tendencies. But leadership does involve changing the world, and leadership requires others to lead, so it makes sense.
Overall, I thought Farber's second book was written better than the first, although the principles are more vague and only partially actionable.
Steve and the SVP have a series of improbable encounters, much like in The Radical Leap, where strangers impart their leadership advice with love and care. In the end, the SVP decides that his true passion is just to make money and that he's not cut out to lead others, and asks for a demotion. Problem solved... I guess?
The leadership lessons taught in this book focus on three things:
1. Carry around a "Wake-Up Pad" (WUP) around with you at all times. Scan your environment and jot down your observations as they happen. Then ponder on what you collected and try to learn from them and draw connections. Then, talk to others about your ideas. When a good idea strikes, pursue it.
2. To gain the "Radical Edge," you have to successfully stoke your business, maximize your joy and meaning, and change the world for everyone.
3. Regarding changing the world, you are supposed to define how you want the world to be different, act as though your every action has a direct impact on the world, don't judge yourself on the outcome of your efforts, and never try to change the world alone.
Here's my personal opinion. The Wake-Up Pad is generally a good idea, although it's nothing new to me to be observant and note the things around me. It's clumsy toting around a notebook, but he did say at one point that you can use a phone or PDA. Good enough.
The concept of the "Radical Edge" is too vague to be practicable. Successfully stoke your business? That's like saying, "to be a leader, you must have a successful business and put all your energy toward it," isn't it?
The second point, maximizing your joy and meaning, is later discussed as "amp it up" or "find your frequency." You enjoy listening to the radio if you find the right channel. This harkens again back to the "Passion Hypothesis" that Cal Newport derided in So Good They Can't Ignore You (Newport 2012) and that Farber advocated for as "love" in The Radical Leap (Farber 2014). I'm still leaning with Newport on this one; not everyone is going to love their job, or find joy and meaning in it. Does that despoil their chances for finding the so-called Radical Edge and not being an "Extreme Leader"? Perhaps so.
The third point, that you should aim to change the world, is an ambitious one. I might agree with Farber on this again, although his prescriptions for how to do it in a social, loving context chafes against my introverted tendencies. But leadership does involve changing the world, and leadership requires others to lead, so it makes sense.
Overall, I thought Farber's second book was written better than the first, although the principles are more vague and only partially actionable.
February 23, 2014
Below are key excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:
1- "If you assume that you can learn from anyone—if you assume that you must learn from everyone—then everyone becomes a great teacher for you. Even if someone's a slime-sucking scumbag of a leech they qualify for greatness if you can learn something from them."
2- "Scan—just like you were a computer scanner. Your scanner just copies; it doesn't comment, it doesn't offer an opinion, it doesn't tell you you're stupid for time on that photo of the girl you met while v all were dancin' on the bar at Jimmy Love's. Just scan your environment and record what you see. Scan the bestseller lists and notice what people are reading; scan the magazine racks and pick up publications that don't interest you—like, I dunno, The Tattoo Review or Graffiti Today, scan the weekly TV-show rankings; scan the headlines of the daily paper in 20 different cities; scan the room that you're sitting in; scan the crowd as you're toolin' down the street during your lunch break. Then, every so often, write down what you're seeing in your WUP. Write down your observations of subcultures that are entirely alien to you and trends in the tastes of the popular culture. Capture little idea-snapshots of natural, political, and social phenomena. Scan, scan, scan. Look at everything going on around you and write your observations in the pad...After collecting your observations for a while you stop, read it over, and give it some reflection. What are the implications of this? What can I earn from that? Why are so many people doing X, and what might that mean for all of us?...Talk About it...With everyone...Or everyone that matters, anyway. Talk about your observations and ideas with your team, for example. 'Here's what- I'm noticin'. What are you seeing?' That kind of thing. Just kick it around and see where the discussion takes you—see what happens over time."
3- "When inspiration strikes, when a new bona fide really great idea presents itself...You have to do it; that's number six. That's when the talking comes to a screeching halt and audacious action takes over. Kelleher and King went from idea to Southwest's first route map on the back of that napkin. In other words. my man, I am expecting you to stick your neck out and try something new in your business. Got it?"
4- "This is how you stoke the fires of your success, Cam: by doing what you love in the service of people you love, who in turn, love what you do for them...I may not have the capacity to love everyone, but I certainly do have the capacity to act as though I do and to run my business accordingly. And if I and my team can really do that, then no other business in my market space can come close to the experience that we give our customers."
5- "So, instead, she treats every customer encounter as an exercise in fascination."
6- ""Your business, your personal life, and your effect on the world," she said. "When you're hitting on those three cylinders simultaneously, you've achieved The Radical Edge and life takes on an entirely new level of meaning."
7- "If you really want to stoke your business till it burns so bright that everyone will take notice, there are two things you must be with complete abandon...One: be deeply fascinated by the life of every person—customer, employee, colleague—your business touches; and two: be deeply grateful for who they are and what they do...It all starts with the heart, Cam. If you develop a sincere love for people, you'll automatically be fascinated with and grateful for them. If you're fascinated with them, you'll discover how to add value to their lives; and if you're genuinely grateful for their patronage, partnership, or friendship you'll show them in ways that are sincere and meaningful. Those are the essential elements of a fabulously productive business relationship—or any relationship, for that matter."
8- "That old saving, 'it's not personal; it's business' is just plain false. Business is personal, personal, personal," she tapped three times on the linoleum table top for emphasis. "And," she twinkled, "is there anything in the human experience more personal than love?"...I regarded that a rhetorical question. Love is your leverage," Agnes said. "And if you're observant, if you stay fascinated and grateful, love will hand you your competitive advantage on a solid gold platter.""
9- "We don't consider ourselves to be naive or idealistical though others certainly may. We are pragmatists of the highest order: we believe there is nothing more eminently practical than looking at the world, asking 'how can this be better?' and then holding ourselves personally accountable for getting it done."
10- "There are four change the-world guidelines that we've agreed on so far, but we're always open to more, and I'm sure we're missing more than a few things. Let me spell them out for you...The first is to define what you mean by 'world,' and get clear on how you want that world to be different from the current reality. 'World' doesn't have to mean the very fabric of human existence, although it certainly could be. It could be the world of your customers, neighborhood, industry—or the world of one person, for that matter. You define it for yourself...Second guideline is...act as though our every action has a direct impact on the world. In other words, you should perform every deed as if it will either improve the world or damage it...Third...Don't judge yourself based on the outcome of your efforts...Meaning you cannot ultimately control the end results. You do everything you can, you do your homework and your research, and you enlist the people you need to get the job done-whatever it is...What's the last one?...Never-never, ever—try to do it alone."
11- "But it's not about finding your frequency by ruling out everything else on the contrary, it's about finding the frequency that includes all those other important values and ideals. The very act of trying to wrap it all together is what's really important, because to do that you have to get very clear on what you mean by each value and principle. You have to define, think through, and understand each to its core, and evaluate your life against each one. The clearer you get, the closer you get to the frequency that pulsates through your life and characterizes who you really are."
1- "If you assume that you can learn from anyone—if you assume that you must learn from everyone—then everyone becomes a great teacher for you. Even if someone's a slime-sucking scumbag of a leech they qualify for greatness if you can learn something from them."
2- "Scan—just like you were a computer scanner. Your scanner just copies; it doesn't comment, it doesn't offer an opinion, it doesn't tell you you're stupid for time on that photo of the girl you met while v all were dancin' on the bar at Jimmy Love's. Just scan your environment and record what you see. Scan the bestseller lists and notice what people are reading; scan the magazine racks and pick up publications that don't interest you—like, I dunno, The Tattoo Review or Graffiti Today, scan the weekly TV-show rankings; scan the headlines of the daily paper in 20 different cities; scan the room that you're sitting in; scan the crowd as you're toolin' down the street during your lunch break. Then, every so often, write down what you're seeing in your WUP. Write down your observations of subcultures that are entirely alien to you and trends in the tastes of the popular culture. Capture little idea-snapshots of natural, political, and social phenomena. Scan, scan, scan. Look at everything going on around you and write your observations in the pad...After collecting your observations for a while you stop, read it over, and give it some reflection. What are the implications of this? What can I earn from that? Why are so many people doing X, and what might that mean for all of us?...Talk About it...With everyone...Or everyone that matters, anyway. Talk about your observations and ideas with your team, for example. 'Here's what- I'm noticin'. What are you seeing?' That kind of thing. Just kick it around and see where the discussion takes you—see what happens over time."
3- "When inspiration strikes, when a new bona fide really great idea presents itself...You have to do it; that's number six. That's when the talking comes to a screeching halt and audacious action takes over. Kelleher and King went from idea to Southwest's first route map on the back of that napkin. In other words. my man, I am expecting you to stick your neck out and try something new in your business. Got it?"
4- "This is how you stoke the fires of your success, Cam: by doing what you love in the service of people you love, who in turn, love what you do for them...I may not have the capacity to love everyone, but I certainly do have the capacity to act as though I do and to run my business accordingly. And if I and my team can really do that, then no other business in my market space can come close to the experience that we give our customers."
5- "So, instead, she treats every customer encounter as an exercise in fascination."
6- ""Your business, your personal life, and your effect on the world," she said. "When you're hitting on those three cylinders simultaneously, you've achieved The Radical Edge and life takes on an entirely new level of meaning."
7- "If you really want to stoke your business till it burns so bright that everyone will take notice, there are two things you must be with complete abandon...One: be deeply fascinated by the life of every person—customer, employee, colleague—your business touches; and two: be deeply grateful for who they are and what they do...It all starts with the heart, Cam. If you develop a sincere love for people, you'll automatically be fascinated with and grateful for them. If you're fascinated with them, you'll discover how to add value to their lives; and if you're genuinely grateful for their patronage, partnership, or friendship you'll show them in ways that are sincere and meaningful. Those are the essential elements of a fabulously productive business relationship—or any relationship, for that matter."
8- "That old saving, 'it's not personal; it's business' is just plain false. Business is personal, personal, personal," she tapped three times on the linoleum table top for emphasis. "And," she twinkled, "is there anything in the human experience more personal than love?"...I regarded that a rhetorical question. Love is your leverage," Agnes said. "And if you're observant, if you stay fascinated and grateful, love will hand you your competitive advantage on a solid gold platter.""
9- "We don't consider ourselves to be naive or idealistical though others certainly may. We are pragmatists of the highest order: we believe there is nothing more eminently practical than looking at the world, asking 'how can this be better?' and then holding ourselves personally accountable for getting it done."
10- "There are four change the-world guidelines that we've agreed on so far, but we're always open to more, and I'm sure we're missing more than a few things. Let me spell them out for you...The first is to define what you mean by 'world,' and get clear on how you want that world to be different from the current reality. 'World' doesn't have to mean the very fabric of human existence, although it certainly could be. It could be the world of your customers, neighborhood, industry—or the world of one person, for that matter. You define it for yourself...Second guideline is...act as though our every action has a direct impact on the world. In other words, you should perform every deed as if it will either improve the world or damage it...Third...Don't judge yourself based on the outcome of your efforts...Meaning you cannot ultimately control the end results. You do everything you can, you do your homework and your research, and you enlist the people you need to get the job done-whatever it is...What's the last one?...Never-never, ever—try to do it alone."
11- "But it's not about finding your frequency by ruling out everything else on the contrary, it's about finding the frequency that includes all those other important values and ideals. The very act of trying to wrap it all together is what's really important, because to do that you have to get very clear on what you mean by each value and principle. You have to define, think through, and understand each to its core, and evaluate your life against each one. The clearer you get, the closer you get to the frequency that pulsates through your life and characterizes who you really are."
December 22, 2017
READ DEC 2017
I was not expecting this to be as good as it was....definitely a must read for those looking to sharpen their focus. Best quote: "Do what you love in service of those who love what you do."
I was not expecting this to be as good as it was....definitely a must read for those looking to sharpen their focus. Best quote: "Do what you love in service of those who love what you do."
April 16, 2008
I really liked Farber's way of story telling to illustrate his points. I found this to be a really powerful little book that was both easy and fast to read and gave me much to ponder by way of what I coach and counsel my clients to do to be better leaders.
January 20, 2016
Fun and quick read. I really enjoy a book that spawns some "What if..." type of questions. This one really got me thinking. The content is not quite that deep on the surface but a book is only as good as the thinking you put into it and around it.
July 25, 2007
Good follow-up to the first book "The Radical Leap." Again, great for people interested in learning new perspectives on leadership.
Want to read
March 10, 2016A new and refreshing take on leadership.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews