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Forged in Crisis: The Making of Five Courageous Leaders
A WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER
“Five gritty leaders whose extraordinary passion and perseverance changed history…a gripping read on a timeless and timely topic” —Angela Duckworth, #1 bestselling author of Grit
An enthralling historical narrative filled with critical leadership insights, Forged in Crisis , by celebrated Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn, spotlights five masters of crisis: polar explorer Ernest Shackleton; President Abraham Lincoln; legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass; Nazi-resisting clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffer; and environmental crusader Rachel Carson.
What do such disparate figures have in common? Why do their extraordinary stories continue to amaze and inspire? In delivering the answers to those questions, Nancy Koehn offers a remarkable template by which to judge those in our own time to whom the public has given its trust.
She begins each of the book’s five sections by showing her protagonist on the precipice of a great crisis: Shackleton marooned on an Antarctic ice floe; Lincoln on the verge of seeing the Union collapse; escaped slave Douglass facing possible capture; Bonhoeffer agonizing over how to counter absolute evil with faith; Carson racing against the cancer ravaging her in a bid to save the planet. The narrative then reaches back to each person’s childhood and shows the individual growing—step by step—into the person he or she will ultimately become. Significantly, as we follow each leader’s against-all-odds journey, we begin to glean an essential truth: leaders are not born but made. In a book dense with epiphanies, the most galvanizing one may be that the power to lead courageously resides in each of us.
Whether it’s read as a repository of great insight or as exceptionally rendered human drama, Forged in Crisis stands as a towering achievement.
“Five gritty leaders whose extraordinary passion and perseverance changed history…a gripping read on a timeless and timely topic” —Angela Duckworth, #1 bestselling author of Grit
An enthralling historical narrative filled with critical leadership insights, Forged in Crisis , by celebrated Harvard Business School historian Nancy Koehn, spotlights five masters of crisis: polar explorer Ernest Shackleton; President Abraham Lincoln; legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass; Nazi-resisting clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffer; and environmental crusader Rachel Carson.
What do such disparate figures have in common? Why do their extraordinary stories continue to amaze and inspire? In delivering the answers to those questions, Nancy Koehn offers a remarkable template by which to judge those in our own time to whom the public has given its trust.
She begins each of the book’s five sections by showing her protagonist on the precipice of a great crisis: Shackleton marooned on an Antarctic ice floe; Lincoln on the verge of seeing the Union collapse; escaped slave Douglass facing possible capture; Bonhoeffer agonizing over how to counter absolute evil with faith; Carson racing against the cancer ravaging her in a bid to save the planet. The narrative then reaches back to each person’s childhood and shows the individual growing—step by step—into the person he or she will ultimately become. Significantly, as we follow each leader’s against-all-odds journey, we begin to glean an essential truth: leaders are not born but made. In a book dense with epiphanies, the most galvanizing one may be that the power to lead courageously resides in each of us.
Whether it’s read as a repository of great insight or as exceptionally rendered human drama, Forged in Crisis stands as a towering achievement.
544 pages, Paperback
First published December 26, 2013
462 people are currently reading
2683 people want to read
About the author
Nancy F. Koehn
9 books31 followersNancy F. Koehn is a historian at the Harvard Business School where she holds the James E. Robison chair of Business Administration. Koehn's research focuses on crisis leadership and how leaders and their teams rise to the challenges of high-stakes situations. Her latest book, Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times, spotlights how five of history’s greatest leaders managed crisis and, in doing this, accomplished extraordinary missions. She is currently working on a major study of civil rights leaders during the late 1950s and 1960s and what we can learn today from their bravery, commitment, methods and purpose.
Koehn has written numerous books and authored HBS cases on Starbucks Coffee Company, Ernest Shackleton, Oprah Winfrey, Bono and U2, Whole Foods, Wedgwood, Estée Lauder, Madam CJ Walker, Dell Computer, and other leaders and organizations. She is currently writing an HBS case on John Lewis and the Civil Rights Movement and another case on John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Koehn consults with many companies and speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Aspen Institute Ideas Festival and the World Business Forum. She has appeared on many television shows, including, "American Experience," "Good Morning America," "The PBS NewsHour," and A&E's "Biography.” She writes for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and the Harvard Business Review and is a frequent commentator on National Public Radio and the BBC. In 2012, Poets and Quants ranked Koehn as one of the World’s 50 Best Business School Professors.
Before coming to HBS, Koehn was a member of Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences for seven years, first as a graduate student in history and then as a lecturer in the History and Literature concentration and the Department of Economics. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, Koehn earned a Master of Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government before taking her MA and PhD in History from Harvard.
Koehn lives in Concord, Massachusetts and is a dedicated equestrian.
Koehn has written numerous books and authored HBS cases on Starbucks Coffee Company, Ernest Shackleton, Oprah Winfrey, Bono and U2, Whole Foods, Wedgwood, Estée Lauder, Madam CJ Walker, Dell Computer, and other leaders and organizations. She is currently writing an HBS case on John Lewis and the Civil Rights Movement and another case on John F. Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Koehn consults with many companies and speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Aspen Institute Ideas Festival and the World Business Forum. She has appeared on many television shows, including, "American Experience," "Good Morning America," "The PBS NewsHour," and A&E's "Biography.” She writes for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and the Harvard Business Review and is a frequent commentator on National Public Radio and the BBC. In 2012, Poets and Quants ranked Koehn as one of the World’s 50 Best Business School Professors.
Before coming to HBS, Koehn was a member of Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences for seven years, first as a graduate student in history and then as a lecturer in the History and Literature concentration and the Department of Economics. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University, Koehn earned a Master of Public Policy from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government before taking her MA and PhD in History from Harvard.
Koehn lives in Concord, Massachusetts and is a dedicated equestrian.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
September 30, 2019
Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times was an interesting examination of five individuals during the most challenging and difficult periods in each of their lives and how they were forced to draw on their internal reserves to exercise courageous leadership and the ability to motivate others to join their cause. One of the most striking examples of this is during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln when the country is torn apart due to the Civil War and his dilemma of attempting to bind the nation's wounds and bringing it together in common cause. Author Nancy Koehn also examines the life of former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, including the many times he was challenged in his struggle, not only for the abolitionist cause but for the rights of women. There is a riveting and interesting account of polar explorer Edward Shackleton, whose ship Endurance. was trapped in the ice floes in 1915, putting all of the crew members at risk, and the decisions Shackleton made as well as the lengths he would go to preserve morale. Also included are the accounts of clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffer as he resisted the Nazis in Germany during World War II and the environmental issues raised by author Rachel Carson, best noted for her groundbreaking book Silent Spring, warning against the deleterious effects of pesticides.
Nancy Koehn begins each section with the crises that each of these leaders faced, then a brief biography emphasizing the challenges they had growing up which may have given them the tools needed to face the various dilemmas. Her premise is that leadership is a learned and measured response by each of these remarkable and courageous individuals. There was a lot to think about as we explore leadership, particularly in today's troubled world crying out for moral leaders.
Nancy Koehn begins each section with the crises that each of these leaders faced, then a brief biography emphasizing the challenges they had growing up which may have given them the tools needed to face the various dilemmas. Her premise is that leadership is a learned and measured response by each of these remarkable and courageous individuals. There was a lot to think about as we explore leadership, particularly in today's troubled world crying out for moral leaders.
April 22, 2018
What a fantastic read. Easily one of the most enlightening, and insightful, books I have read in a long time, not to mention one of the most engaging.
Koehn takes five very different people — Ernest Shackleton, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rachel Carson — and uses their disparate stories to explore what leadership is and what modern leaders can learn from their examples.
What I appreciated most was her always insightful analysis. As she tells each person’s story, she regularly reminds us of what lesson we can apply to our own lives. And the lessons are quite varied, especially when you contrast, say, a leader like Shackleton who was on a physically dangerous exploratory journey, with a leader like Carson, who led from her research desk in her home. You quickly begin to see how leadership can take many different forms. You don’t have to be extrovert or an MBA degree holder to be a leader. In fact, some of the greatest leaders have been introverted or depressive or self-educated. Humanity, integrity, a desire to learn, a concern for things outside themselves — all these matter much more than a particular type of personality or education.
I also adore Koehn writing style, which is engaging and readable but never condescending or simplistic. This is a difficult thing to achieve and she does it masterfully.
All in all, a fantastic book. I’ll recommend it to many people.
Koehn takes five very different people — Ernest Shackleton, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rachel Carson — and uses their disparate stories to explore what leadership is and what modern leaders can learn from their examples.
What I appreciated most was her always insightful analysis. As she tells each person’s story, she regularly reminds us of what lesson we can apply to our own lives. And the lessons are quite varied, especially when you contrast, say, a leader like Shackleton who was on a physically dangerous exploratory journey, with a leader like Carson, who led from her research desk in her home. You quickly begin to see how leadership can take many different forms. You don’t have to be extrovert or an MBA degree holder to be a leader. In fact, some of the greatest leaders have been introverted or depressive or self-educated. Humanity, integrity, a desire to learn, a concern for things outside themselves — all these matter much more than a particular type of personality or education.
I also adore Koehn writing style, which is engaging and readable but never condescending or simplistic. This is a difficult thing to achieve and she does it masterfully.
All in all, a fantastic book. I’ll recommend it to many people.
December 8, 2017
Great brief biographical sketch of five historical figures who overcame great odds to succeed in their own ways. Shackleford, Lincoln, Douglass, Bonhoeffer, and Rachel Carson are highlighted. From each we are given examples of leadership and perseverance that was forged in the midst of suffering, struggle, difficulty, and crisis. Highly motivating and encouraging, as well as educational.
February 1, 2018
Inspiring book but parallels between Hitler’s early days and today are frightening...
February 10, 2018
Overall, the stories in this book are very good, but the leadership analysis feels like it’s bolted on, perhaps added as an afterthought. The book felt like something that was done on assignment. I have no idea what the assignment might be, whether it was thinking “Gosh, I haven’t written a book in a long time. Maybe I should do another one,” or “I should write another book to make some money,” or something else. There was great passion in the storytelling. The analysis seemed forced.
My advice to you is this. If you want to read some good stories about real leaders in real situations, buy Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times and read it for those stories. You’ll get your money’s worth. If you’re looking for analysis to make sense of it all, look elsewhere.
Read my complete review at http://www.threestarleadership.com/bo...
My advice to you is this. If you want to read some good stories about real leaders in real situations, buy Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times and read it for those stories. You’ll get your money’s worth. If you’re looking for analysis to make sense of it all, look elsewhere.
Read my complete review at http://www.threestarleadership.com/bo...
May 14, 2018
This book is really 5 mini-biographies. Unfortunately, the concept of the book is not realized. Ms. Koehn's intention is to use these biographies to highlight courageous leadership. Unfortunately, although the biographies are good, the book fails to bring together a common message across them.
There is a short lessons learned section at the end of each mini-biography and a chapter at the end of the book, but the highlighted aspects of each stories are simply not novel, or strong enough.
That said, I'd simply recommend you read this book for the biographies. I have read biographies of Lincoln and Bonhoeffer that are better, but Ms. Koehn provides a shortened version that is worth reading.
There is a short lessons learned section at the end of each mini-biography and a chapter at the end of the book, but the highlighted aspects of each stories are simply not novel, or strong enough.
That said, I'd simply recommend you read this book for the biographies. I have read biographies of Lincoln and Bonhoeffer that are better, but Ms. Koehn provides a shortened version that is worth reading.
January 29, 2018
Sometimes read like a AP high school term paper paper with go-to phrases like "This is an especially important lesson for leaders of today," & too much of a reliance on conjecture in the absence of actual record: "perhaps he was thinking..." and "there is no record of her feelings about this, but she may have..." It came off as a bit padded.
Though the Shackleton & Carson sections were especially interesting, I found inspiration in all five profiles. I just wish it was a bit tighter.
Though the Shackleton & Carson sections were especially interesting, I found inspiration in all five profiles. I just wish it was a bit tighter.
August 19, 2019
To be honest I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this, and how much I took from it.
The study of leadership often results in pithy, bulleted lists of do's and don'ts; business books heavy on fortune cookie wisdom that business people process intellectually, but but don't internalize. This book is something different, taking the stories of 5 great leader's lives - some of which I knew well, others about which I knew nothing - and telling each in a way that highlights a few anecdotes that stick. It's bookended by summaries that tease a few rhyming patterns out of the dots, brief and insightful.
Leadership is a fundamentally human and personal undertaking. By telling these people's stories beautifully, sharing what they did in the context of who they were and why, Professor Koehn has created something that will deepen your understanding of what it means to lead, not just in bullets, but in poetry.
The study of leadership often results in pithy, bulleted lists of do's and don'ts; business books heavy on fortune cookie wisdom that business people process intellectually, but but don't internalize. This book is something different, taking the stories of 5 great leader's lives - some of which I knew well, others about which I knew nothing - and telling each in a way that highlights a few anecdotes that stick. It's bookended by summaries that tease a few rhyming patterns out of the dots, brief and insightful.
Leadership is a fundamentally human and personal undertaking. By telling these people's stories beautifully, sharing what they did in the context of who they were and why, Professor Koehn has created something that will deepen your understanding of what it means to lead, not just in bullets, but in poetry.
November 5, 2017
Received as an ARC from the publisher. Started 10-23-17. Finished 11-4-17. This book should be required reading in all Poli Sci and Business Leadership classes, but it won't help our current government situation since some of our leaders pride themselves on their not reading anything of importance!!!! This book delves into the lives of five personalities: Ernest Shackleton,Pres. Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rachel Carson. All were "made", not "born." They made major improvements in the world in which they lived, and contributed positives that continue to this day. Their concerns were about everybody, and not just a select few. They were willing to risk their own lives to help others and they never gave up. If you're not familiar with some of these people, it will be worth it to read this well-documented study.
April 3, 2020
This was recommended to me by a friend, It is an interesting book which brings together the stories of five disparate leaders - and then presents both their personal histories and some ideas about why they were leaders. The biographies are compact but informative. The leaders are Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Ernest Shackleton, Dietrich Bonhoffer, and Rachel Carson. Koehn does a great job of presenting both a short biography and then some analysis which bears upon here theories of the qualities of leadership.
Oddly, in the last three years I have read separate biographies about Lincoln, Douglass, Bonhoffer and Shackleton - and I think her descriptions of both the challenges they faced and their responses is an addition to my knowledge.
What bothered me about the book was the section on Carson. While I think she was an important figure in the environmental movement - I think her most prominent book suffered from a lack of balance. Much like the works of John Steinbeck (Grapes of Wrath) and Upton Sinclair (The Jungle) Silent Spring gives no credence to the idea that synthetic pesticides had positive as well as negative characteristics. While I disagree with some of the criticism of the book at the time - there is good evidence that the complete banning of DDT in some regions of the world resulted in a lost opportunity to abate or eradicate malaria. Those are judgment calls but at least in my mind Koehn could have considered someone like Madame CJ Walker as an alternative (both because none of the leaders came from commerce and because few people remember this first Black female entrepreneur).
Oddly, in the last three years I have read separate biographies about Lincoln, Douglass, Bonhoffer and Shackleton - and I think her descriptions of both the challenges they faced and their responses is an addition to my knowledge.
What bothered me about the book was the section on Carson. While I think she was an important figure in the environmental movement - I think her most prominent book suffered from a lack of balance. Much like the works of John Steinbeck (Grapes of Wrath) and Upton Sinclair (The Jungle) Silent Spring gives no credence to the idea that synthetic pesticides had positive as well as negative characteristics. While I disagree with some of the criticism of the book at the time - there is good evidence that the complete banning of DDT in some regions of the world resulted in a lost opportunity to abate or eradicate malaria. Those are judgment calls but at least in my mind Koehn could have considered someone like Madame CJ Walker as an alternative (both because none of the leaders came from commerce and because few people remember this first Black female entrepreneur).
April 3, 2021
Nancy Koehn's skilled gathering of historical information and compassionate talent for synthesizing into context and relevance has given us a gift. Forged in Crisis: The Making of Five Legendary Leaders implies another book on leadership which I thought perhaps I shouldn't read. Who am I going to lead? Reading it, I was reminded that each of us needs to lead ourselves forward for personal growth and assume the duties to make the world better in our wake. Nancy's beautifully told stories were compelling and thoughtful. Historical but suspenseful and engaging, her book is so very, very important in the current times. I thank her, not as eloquently and gratefully as she thanked her supporters.
July 8, 2018
I really liked these abridged biographies and I learned a lot! I found it slightly dry however, which made it a little bit of a slow read. I would recommend it though. It was a great way to learn a little about these amazing leaders!
June 2, 2020
Really enjoyed this one- simple, thoughtful read with a quick and relevant historical perspective on top of leadership lessons that can be applied today in our time of crisis. Highly recommended!
October 3, 2017
What a timely book! Nancy Koehn illustrates beautifully the struggles of some of our past leaders including Ernest Shackleton, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Rachel Carson. Each tale is riveting and the unifying lesson proves that each of us can become a more effective leader.
June 12, 2018
The epitome of "okay." This wasn't a great book and I have seen it getting a lot of press lately so that's disappointing. The only thing about it more disappointing than that was the author's comment at the end about how they'd spent over ten years writing the book. They should ask for the decade back.
Seriously though, it wasn't terrible. It just wasn't worth the hype. Read a different book. There are without doubt better ones to choose from.
Seriously though, it wasn't terrible. It just wasn't worth the hype. Read a different book. There are without doubt better ones to choose from.
June 10, 2018
A great historical tour of five inspiring leaders, their background, and the historical context in which they acted, but the "lessons" are a bit heavy-handed and overblown to the point of being annoying. Still a worthwhile read.
May 28, 2018
I liked the effective, abridged biographies of the historical figures, particularly Abe Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. I like the idea of drawing leadership lessons from their lives, but several of the leadership tips came across as a bit of a stretch based on a small sampling size of five people. For example, all five people depicted excelled at writing. Well, I have a feeling if these people had not written extensively, they would not have been included in the book, because there would have been fewer colorful details about them in the historical record. I really tried to take away some leadership principles from the stories but I came up empty.
May 29, 2018
Koehn spends a great deal of time giving historical and biographical context to the 5 great leaders(Shackelton, Lincoln, Douglas, Bonhoeffer, and Carsons) of her book, which lends an entertaining history lesson with nuggets of mgmt feel to the book. The detail and insight into how these leaders came to the situation that would define them is fascinating and worth the read. Though the leadership lessons and commentary are brief they focus on a few key themes are patience, communication, and focus on a mission.
The most thought-provoking question of the book: "is what is the difference between community and teamwork?"
The most thought-provoking question of the book: "is what is the difference between community and teamwork?"
February 24, 2018
Each of us will be faced with a crisis at some point in our lives. We will either lead or be led through it. Either way, author Nancy Koehn in her first book for popular audience identifies five ordinary individuals in history who persevere through their own crisis to become the leaders we are to emulate or who we would be wise look for to lead us.
This is not the usual history book filled with dense detail proving the author knows their stuff and the reader is forced to slog their way through, but one cleverly written in rich reverence that swept me off my feet into the world in which her subjects lived.
I find it almost prophetic on Ms. Koehn’s part to have started her work on this book project over 10 years ago and have its’ debut at such a crucial time in our history today. While I encourage readers to begin reading Forged in Crisis from page one of the Introduction to the end of the Acknowledgements, let me just say the last chapter and especially the Acknowledgements chapter give the reader an impressive glimpse into this author’s amazing research to bring what she terms her “literary child” into this world for readers to not only learn about the qualities of leadership we must all pursue but to enjoy stepping back in time to read about these fascinating historical individuals.
Judging by her impressive Harvard credentials and career, the author is no doubt a leader as a historian and leadership coach, but in this reader’s humble opinion, Nancy Koehn became an even greater leader forged from her own crisis in this ten-year writing journey. I only wish I could have been one of her students at Harvard.
This is not the usual history book filled with dense detail proving the author knows their stuff and the reader is forced to slog their way through, but one cleverly written in rich reverence that swept me off my feet into the world in which her subjects lived.
I find it almost prophetic on Ms. Koehn’s part to have started her work on this book project over 10 years ago and have its’ debut at such a crucial time in our history today. While I encourage readers to begin reading Forged in Crisis from page one of the Introduction to the end of the Acknowledgements, let me just say the last chapter and especially the Acknowledgements chapter give the reader an impressive glimpse into this author’s amazing research to bring what she terms her “literary child” into this world for readers to not only learn about the qualities of leadership we must all pursue but to enjoy stepping back in time to read about these fascinating historical individuals.
Judging by her impressive Harvard credentials and career, the author is no doubt a leader as a historian and leadership coach, but in this reader’s humble opinion, Nancy Koehn became an even greater leader forged from her own crisis in this ten-year writing journey. I only wish I could have been one of her students at Harvard.
October 2, 2018
I usually judge a book such as this by how enlightening it is--not by how entertaining. I loved the focused biographies, and I knew next-to-nothing about three of the people featured--Rachel Carson, Ernest Shackleton, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. As to Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, I yawned inwardly. But the unifying thesis that crisis brings out the best of leadership in some people shone a special light on these five. Selflessness and sacrificial determination to reach a goal emerged in these five. They were all good and talented, but with the right mix, they showed courage and determination that made them outstanding in different ways. I was most impressed with Rachel Carson, because she fought to become a noted scientific writer against the odds for women, then supported her family (mother, father, sisters and their children, and a brother for a while), and finally, fought cancer to write "Silent Spring," a work that took on the chemical companies manufacturing DDT and other pesticides that were poisoning animals, humans, soil, and water. The others in the book were men--and they didn't have to worry about caring for children, running a household, fixing meals.
February 5, 2018
Though well written, I have to admit that I didn't finish this book.
It is broken down into five parts, each one dedicated to a great leader in history. I finished reading part one about Ernest Shackleton's challenge, but I can't work up enough interest to keep going (and I have several other non-fiction book on my nightstand that I'm REALLY excited about.) It was interesting and the idea was gripping, but in the end I think I was hoping for more analysis of their leadership, and ways to apply it one's own leadership roles. Instead, it was more of concise biography -- any yes, Shakleton was a great leader because he worked relentlessly to bring every man home.
Someone else please finish this and let me know if there are any greater insights and if I should come back to it.
It is broken down into five parts, each one dedicated to a great leader in history. I finished reading part one about Ernest Shackleton's challenge, but I can't work up enough interest to keep going (and I have several other non-fiction book on my nightstand that I'm REALLY excited about.) It was interesting and the idea was gripping, but in the end I think I was hoping for more analysis of their leadership, and ways to apply it one's own leadership roles. Instead, it was more of concise biography -- any yes, Shakleton was a great leader because he worked relentlessly to bring every man home.
Someone else please finish this and let me know if there are any greater insights and if I should come back to it.
February 5, 2019
There are so many books on leadership it may seem there are no more “secrets” of leadership to be revealed to us. So for anyone writing on the subject, the challenge is: (1) make the subject more interesting, more vivid, and (2) give the reader the realistic reassurance that, yes, maybe I, too, can be a leader. In this, Nancy Koehn admirably succeeds in her work, Forged in Crisis: The Making of Five Courageous Leaders (Scribner).
Read the full review - https://booktrib.com/2018/08/forged-i...
Read the full review - https://booktrib.com/2018/08/forged-i...
January 22, 2018
I enjoyed the biographical shorts in this collection. I had read many bios on Lincoln, one on Bonhoeffer and one on Shackelton. I have Frederick Douglass bio on my reading list and am eager to read that. I was unfamiliar with Rachel Carson but will be searching for more on her life as well. The sections on leadership were not very well connected in my opinion and I sort of skimmed over those sections.
March 3, 2018
Was this written by the author in hopes that this sort of individual might appear in our current turbulent times? Here's what it takes, won't come courageous person please stand up and lead us out of this mess?
March 10, 2019
Bought this hoping to get a good summary of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Got this, but somehow ended up disappointed that the author failed to show, to my satisfaction, how a devout theologian made the moral leap that justified plotting to kill another human being.
February 26, 2018
Book Group Feb 2018. Learned a lot. Redundant info. Glad I read it but disappointed in depth and psych presentation.
June 3, 2019
Great book! I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to gain insight into 5 tremendous lives without having to spend very long hours studying each person individually.
February 26, 2018
I never know what I am going to read next. Somehow this week I have had five rather varied nonfiction books catch my eye. Two were sent by friends 1) Deep Nutrition by Catherine Shananhan, MD- so much common sense that really means changing your lifestyle and 2) Forged in Crisis by Nancy Koehn, PhD Historian, Harvard Business School.
Title: Forged in Crisis by Nancy Koehn
Publisher:Scribner, 2017, 517 pp
Genre: history, leadership, crisis management
4 stars, Recommended as Library reading, I’m glad I didn’t pay money.
Author:
From her bio
“Nancy Koehn is a historian at the Harvard Business School where she holds the James E. Robinson chair of Business Administration. She has coached leaders from many organizations and speaks frequently at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Aspen Ideas Festival, and the World Business Forum. An accomplished author and scholar (she earned her M.A. and PhD degrees in history from Harvard), she spent ten years writing Forged in Crisis, her first book aimed at a popular audience. Her research focuses on how leaders, past and present, craft lives of purpose, worth and impact. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts and is a committed equestrian.” She has written several books and case studies, previous best: Brand New: How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers’ Trust from Wedgewood To Dell about six entrepreneurs.
Story:
The case studies or essays include Ernest Shackleton, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Rachel Carson. This was an interesting mix and my first question was why these five, what did they have in common? I’ve read multiple great biographies on all but Bonhoeffer. At the same time, the current political climate could benefit from a wider audience reading this book.
I was disappointed in the analysis of leadership, often a page summarizing at the end of each profile (60-80 pages). They more like afterthoughts not original insight. In the conclusion, “The Power of Courageous Leadership” Koehn tells us that the most important thing that connects these leaders is “that these leaders were made, not born.” Years ago, I read John F. Kennedy's succinct, inspirational book, "Profiles in Courage." I can’t believe it’s too dated to read. Especially in light of the comment/conclusion “All five leaders were willing to work on themselves.” I think college lecture or motivational speaker. “The second thing that each of the five leaders learned as they navigated through great turbulence was the significance of committing to a worthy goal.” This applies to every generation, but we need tools to make the generations work together. These five also learned was the value of resilience. We definitely need more of that.
Quote :
From the introduction, leaders are "effective, decent...people of purpose and commitment who want to make a positive difference and who choose to rise: first within themselves, by claiming their better selves, and then on the large stage, by staking out the higher ground."
Title: Forged in Crisis by Nancy Koehn
Publisher:Scribner, 2017, 517 pp
Genre: history, leadership, crisis management
4 stars, Recommended as Library reading, I’m glad I didn’t pay money.
Author:
From her bio
“Nancy Koehn is a historian at the Harvard Business School where she holds the James E. Robinson chair of Business Administration. She has coached leaders from many organizations and speaks frequently at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Aspen Ideas Festival, and the World Business Forum. An accomplished author and scholar (she earned her M.A. and PhD degrees in history from Harvard), she spent ten years writing Forged in Crisis, her first book aimed at a popular audience. Her research focuses on how leaders, past and present, craft lives of purpose, worth and impact. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts and is a committed equestrian.” She has written several books and case studies, previous best: Brand New: How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers’ Trust from Wedgewood To Dell about six entrepreneurs.
Story:
The case studies or essays include Ernest Shackleton, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Rachel Carson. This was an interesting mix and my first question was why these five, what did they have in common? I’ve read multiple great biographies on all but Bonhoeffer. At the same time, the current political climate could benefit from a wider audience reading this book.
I was disappointed in the analysis of leadership, often a page summarizing at the end of each profile (60-80 pages). They more like afterthoughts not original insight. In the conclusion, “The Power of Courageous Leadership” Koehn tells us that the most important thing that connects these leaders is “that these leaders were made, not born.” Years ago, I read John F. Kennedy's succinct, inspirational book, "Profiles in Courage." I can’t believe it’s too dated to read. Especially in light of the comment/conclusion “All five leaders were willing to work on themselves.” I think college lecture or motivational speaker. “The second thing that each of the five leaders learned as they navigated through great turbulence was the significance of committing to a worthy goal.” This applies to every generation, but we need tools to make the generations work together. These five also learned was the value of resilience. We definitely need more of that.
Quote :
From the introduction, leaders are "effective, decent...people of purpose and commitment who want to make a positive difference and who choose to rise: first within themselves, by claiming their better selves, and then on the large stage, by staking out the higher ground."
November 1, 2023
This book relates the stories of five individuals from two different centuries and three different countries- four men, one woman. There is a lot to like in this book, as its stories are well researched, well presented, and pretty inspirational. The five individuals- British explorer Ernest Shackleton, President Abraham Lincoln, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, German clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and writer/environmentalist Rachel Carson- are presented as having exhibited the qualities of "leadership" that we seem to be lacking in our current circumstances. For the most part, I really enjoyed this book, as it tells the stories of individuals who exhibited, in a variety of ways, enormous courage. Shackleton led his men to safety after a disaster in their attempt to travel across Antarctica, Lincoln "saved the Union," Douglass successfully fought to end slavery, Bonhoeffer worked to undermine Hitler, and Carson arguable ignited the modern environmental movement. I enjoyed reading about four of the five individuals (more about Bonhoeffer in a minute), but I ended up thinking that if each of these heroes exhibited "leadership," then I'm not sure what the meaning of that word is. The first three individuals clearly met what (in my mind) are the criteria for "leadership," although I would really recommend a number of lengthier biographies of Lincoln and David Blight's recent biography of Douglass. I was not familiar with the story of Shackleton's expedition and this book told the story in a very engrossing way. But when the book turned to the German clergyman Bonhoeffer, I thought that it lost the grasp of the idea of "leadership." He certainly displayed courage, but during the time when the Nazis might have been prevented from seizing complete control of Germany, it seemed light Bonhoeffer was willing to step into the background (or go to another country). The section of the book on Carson was perhaps my favorite, as I really knew nothing about the details of her life- her push to get a degree in the field of her passion, her writing (a variety of her books on the natural world were best sellers), and her fight against cancer while she was writing "Silent Spring." But I don't see her as fitting any conventional definition of "leadership." The author herself uses the word "pathbreaker," and I would endorse that label for Carson. The book ends with an overview of what the author sees as the general attributes of "leadership," which are hard to argue with: resilience, patience, the ability to see the "big picture," the importance of writing (YES!). In short, it's a worthwhile read, with the first and last sections (Shackleton, Carson) being the highlights, the second and third sections (Lincoln, Douglass) telling stories that are told better elsewhere, and the fourth section (Bonhoeffer) somewhat disappointing.
September 12, 2021
Full disclosure: I only read the Rachel Carson chapters and wow, what an inspiration.
I know there's no pain Olympics, but Carson really had it bad: continual health issues, including cancer; supporting a multigenerational family; suffering disparagement and attacks from powerful chemical companies; and all this while her relatives were falling down all around her (literally—she fretted what to do about her orphaned grandnephew, whom she adopted and had to seek guardians for as she knew her odds weren't good for reaching old age).
Yet, and it's a big yet, she powered through two bestselling books bringing sea life to the surface for avid readers just starting to realize the connections in the natural world, and the newfound capabilities that humans had to shape, harm, or protect their environment on a grander scale than ever before. The Carson chapters of Forged in Crisis focus mostly on the writing and years that went into Silent Spring, an expose of the effects that DDT and other pesticides had on the ecosystem, and their potential as well for harming people. Plagued by health difficulties, surgeries, radiation exposure, and so much else, she soldiered on, relying on constant communication with a friend to prop her up. She also sought solace in Maine, where she was able to walk, think, and center herself amid all the personal and professional storms.
She conserved her inner resources for the writing that went slowly, sometimes suspended altogether while she healed. She only took speaking engagements that packed the biggest bang for the buck, such as testifying at Congress as it prepared to ban DDT.
Carson was made a leader for this work, which precipitated the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, among other things, because she could not let go of what she knew: that indiscriminate pesticide use was harming our planet, and us. She used her skill in writing to put action to that knowledge. And she used her status as a bestselling writer to teach what she had learned. She made her passion both a living and a calling.
I know there's no pain Olympics, but Carson really had it bad: continual health issues, including cancer; supporting a multigenerational family; suffering disparagement and attacks from powerful chemical companies; and all this while her relatives were falling down all around her (literally—she fretted what to do about her orphaned grandnephew, whom she adopted and had to seek guardians for as she knew her odds weren't good for reaching old age).
Yet, and it's a big yet, she powered through two bestselling books bringing sea life to the surface for avid readers just starting to realize the connections in the natural world, and the newfound capabilities that humans had to shape, harm, or protect their environment on a grander scale than ever before. The Carson chapters of Forged in Crisis focus mostly on the writing and years that went into Silent Spring, an expose of the effects that DDT and other pesticides had on the ecosystem, and their potential as well for harming people. Plagued by health difficulties, surgeries, radiation exposure, and so much else, she soldiered on, relying on constant communication with a friend to prop her up. She also sought solace in Maine, where she was able to walk, think, and center herself amid all the personal and professional storms.
She conserved her inner resources for the writing that went slowly, sometimes suspended altogether while she healed. She only took speaking engagements that packed the biggest bang for the buck, such as testifying at Congress as it prepared to ban DDT.
Carson was made a leader for this work, which precipitated the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, among other things, because she could not let go of what she knew: that indiscriminate pesticide use was harming our planet, and us. She used her skill in writing to put action to that knowledge. And she used her status as a bestselling writer to teach what she had learned. She made her passion both a living and a calling.
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