The Leadership Moment: Nine True Stories of Triumph and Disaster and Their Lessons for Us All

by Michael Useem, Warren Bennis (Foreword)

Are you ready for the leadership moment?

“Gripping adventure and actionable advice.”— Fast Company

Merck’s Roy Vagelos commits millions of dollars to develop a drug needed only by people who can’t afford it • Eugene Kranz struggles to bring the Apollo 13 astronauts home after an explosion rips through their spacecraft • Arlene Blum organizes the first women's ascent of one of the world's most dangerous mountains • Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain leads his tattered troops into a pivotal Civil War battle at Little Round Top • John Gutfreund loses Salomon Brothers when his inattention to a trading scandal almost topples the Wall Street giant • Clifton Wharton restructures a $50 billion pension system direly out of touch with its customers • Alfredo Cristiani transforms El Salvador’s decade-long civil war into a negotiated settlement • Nancy Barry leads Women's World Banking in the fight against Third World poverty • Wagner Dodge faces the decision of a lifetime as a fast-moving forest fire overtakes his firefighting crew.

Genres: Leadership, Business, Nonfiction, Management, Self Help, Personal Development, Buisness

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Michael Useem is a professor in the Management Department and Faculty Director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management and McNulty Leadership Program at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His university teaching includes MBA and executive-MBA courses on management and leadership, and he offers programs on leadership and governance for managers in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.  He works on leadership development with many companies and organizations in the private, public and nonprofit sectors.

He is co-anchor for a weekly program “Leadership in Action” on SiriusXM Radio Channel 132 and co-director of the annual CEO Academy. He is the author of The Leader’s Checklist, The Strategic Leader’s Roadmap (with Harbir Singh), The Edge: How Ten CEOs Learned to Lead—And the Lessons for Us All, Go Long: Why Long-Term Thinking Is Your Best Short-Term Strategy (with Dennis Carey, Brian Dumaine, and Rodney Zemmel). Mastering Catastrophic Risk (with Howard Kunreuther), Fortune Makers: The Leaders Creating China’s Great Global Companies (with Harbir Singh, Neng Liang, and Peter Cappelli), The India Way (with Peter Cappelli, Harbir Singh, and Jitendra Singh), and Boards That Lead (with Ram Charan and Dennis Carey).

Reviews

[Matt Glidden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the stories are great, but the way he pulls leadership principles out of them felt laborious. A few of the stories were uninteresting. Overall felt dry and was hard to finish.

[BOOKSTHATSTAY · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains nine true stories of triumph and disaster and the lessons that we can learn from them. It is a book that can be equally enjoyed by fiction-lovers as well as non-fiction lovers!😃

All of us have to make certain decisions almost every single day, which affect us and many-a-times people around us too. From deciding what to eat to deciding or choosing to be calm, to deciding to postpone, or to seek help, to form a team, or to decide at what pace we want to take things forward, we do make certain crucial decisions either consciously or subconsciously. These decisions have the potential to affect people around us too! And many-a-times we have to step-up and lead too!💙

But we have to agree that some decisions are harder than others and sometimes we aren't prepared for the challenges that life throws at us!🌸

All the nine stories in this book are from different fields, ranging from business, public service, to NASA, and to ending the country's civil war. The author has done a wonderful job in discussing the critical decision taken by each of the nine leaders in the face of adversity.

All the stories are well detailed and together make this book an amazing powerhouse of motivation, guidance, and inspiration!

Sometimes when our personal values are not aligned with that of an organization, that we are associated with, we can either quit or continue. But none of those decisions are easy to make. We always seek practical advice at such times. And what can be better than knowing the true stories of people who were once in a similar dilemma and steered their way out of the adversities!

[Tototapalnise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judul asli buku ini The Leadership Moments karya penulis Michael Useem. Dari judul aslinya sudah ketahuan kalau buku ini tentang kepemimpinan.

Tapi buku ini dikemas dengan cara yang berbeda dengan contoh-contoh kepemimpinan yang diambil dari berbagai peristiwa atau kisah nyata di dunia. Mulai dari perang saudara di Amerika hingga kasus penyakit River Blindness di Benua Afrika.

Patut untuk dibaca sebagai pegangan seorang pemimpin dalam menghadapi permasalahan untuk mencari solusi tercepat dan tertepat.

[RYCJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t say I was surprised, given the author’s experience, but then must say I was levitated given the versatile suitability this book projects. All nine true case-examples are succinct, relevant, quite captivating, and valuable lessons applicable for everyone.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, it didn't kill me to read these stories. a few were better than others, but I got more out of the stories of fantastic people, rather than leadership qualities. sure those were highlighted but I sort of found them difficult to retain or apply to my life.

[Ron Scheese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling Leadership Stories & Lessons

Just finished "The Leadership Moment" by Michael Useem. A series of examinations of individuals and challenges requiring leadership and the lessons and implications we can derive from those success and tragedy experiences.

The author provides a nice blend of background and story to engage the reader with critical examination and lesson conclusions from the situations. The nine stories are un-related, some involving business, some war, some exploration and some service. They were all engrossing from my perspective

Featuring 1) Roy Vagelos attacking the dreaded River Blindness disease 2) Wagner Dodge fighting forest fires in Montana 3) Flight Director Eugene Kranz safely returning Apollo 13 to Earth 4) Arlene Blum leading a team of female climbers to the summit of Annapurna 5) Joshua Chamberlain's heroics at Gettysburg 6) Clifton Wharton restructuring TIAA-CREF 7)John Gutfreund losing control of Salomon Inc. contrasted against Warren Buffet's actions to save the financial giant 8) Nancy Barry making an impact against global poverty through her leadership at Women's World Banking, and 9) Alfredo Cristiani's negotiation skills bringing an end to El Salvador's Civil War.

These are compelling stories and this is a compelling book about leadership. Definitely recommend checking it out.

[Courtney Niederer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't a fan of this one. I felt that the author was creative in terms of choosing 9 different perspectives to illustrate leadership. However, as the reader, I felt like many of the stories focused more on the event than the actual leadership that led to the event (a history buff may read this and have a totally different viewpoint - I just wanted to be finished). I felt that the most important parts of the book were the introduction and the Leader's Guide at the back. As someone who was required to read this, I felt that (after reading the whole book) I could have gotten the same thing out of reading these two parts.

[Leland McKnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has excellent case studies that illustrate core principles of leadership in real life scenarios. Most of the examples take place in high-pressure, time-sensitive scenarios where the leaders' insticts are put to the test. From my experiences in the 'Captains Chair', it is my opinion that many of the situations in the book that turned out poorly could have been steered back on course by just yelling at the other people involved. But, regardless, I require that my managers read it, because it seems to make them better at their jobs, and it gives themselves something to talk about.

[Jeff Brateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some great stories and lessons about leadership in this book. Some things were obvious, and some really did require a good story to solidify the impact. My only gripe with this book were how some of the stories were about people who aren't really relatable, such as the one with the lady who got selected into one elite school after the next. She was a leader, and there were leadership stories there, but it was about a circumstance that prevented someone from another background to truly seem themselves in their shoes.

[Sydney Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A truly remarkable collection of leadership stories! Anyone who works in a job where leadership is extremely important aspect of the job, should definitely read this book. It explore many different leadership styles and you can see how different leadership styles are effective in different situations. In other words there is no good or bad leadership; it's good or bad depending on the situation.

[Guy Choate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some decent overviews of interesting stories in history--war, business, adventure, science--but I had to make myself finish this. The point of the book was to show some leaders in their pivotal moment of leadership, and I suppose that was accomplished, but the analysis of those decisions, how they reached them, and how one should apply it to one's own life felt forced. I would've rather read a more complete history of these events and come to my own conclusions.

[Tony DeMichele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a 'Regional Leadership Forum' program while I was working in IT. There are countless leadership books out there, but this one stands out for me because the nine stories within are each teachable moments in leadership. It highlights bad leadership as well as exceptional leadership and I would highly recommend this book for anyone who may be looking to swing from being a manager to a leader!

[Bhaargav · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nine fascinating real life stories depicting true leadership in varied situations, fields and circumstances - universally applicable principles touching on human spirit, integrity, courage, resilience and simple common sense.
The stories are diverse and interesting and the author does a good job of summarising the takeaways in the form principles one can learn from these stories.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each story offered its own advice for each type of leader. Some of the stories definitely contributed to my personal beliefs on how leaders can lead from the back and from the front

[Robert Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book of experience

This book demonstrated a vast breadth of experience of which some are useful and others hinder; otherwise a great book for a leadership toolbox

[William Flautt · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 2/3rds of the book are great. The last few dealing with the rather dry subject of business and banking I could not get through.

[George Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

impressive people

[Hollywood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick read on leadership. Nothing crazy to talk about. Book has some interesting stories however.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one. So many inspirational stories. Not sure I can pick a favorite one! Must read for anyone in a leadership role.

[Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so look. The nine leadership moments (stories) are decent and provide some thought provoking moments. The real meat of this book is the last 20 pages.

[Mark Simmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories with pertinent leadership examples.

[Emi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry

[Srikanth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somehow not able to connect with this book. Some details were just flying over my head especially the chapter on NASA.

[Mandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a strong "ok." I found some of the stories much more interesting than others. Also think much of it was more drawn out than it needed to be.

[Paul Eberhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but somewhat dated material.

[Omar Halabieh · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the author best captures it in the introduction, the book's premise is as follows: "We all need to be ready for those moments when our leadership is on the line and the fate or fortune of others depends on what we do...It is my view that one of the most effective ways of preparing for such challenges is by looking at what others have done when their own leadership was on the line. By examining their experience and asking what they did and what they could have done, and by wondering what you would have done yourself, you can better anticipate what you should do when faced with your own leadership challenges. This book presents accounts of nine such experiences. "

The experiences are diverse, and so are the perspectives and wisdom that are shared. The reader will naturally find herself reliving them and reflecting on what she would have in these situations. Am action gripping and learning filled read on leadership!

Below are excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:

1- "Collectively, these stories and the principles drawn from them offer a threefold prescription: prepare yourself, prepare your colleagues, prepare your organization."

2- "1) Powers of the office: power to reward, power to punish, power of budget. 2) Organizational Leadership: empowerment, reorganization. 3) Personal Leadership: expertise, character."

3- "The single most important lesson from these moments is the overwhelming significance of vision and action. Without a clear sense of destination, we are apt to flounder about, and without knowing how to get to that destination, we will never reach it even when we see it."

4- "Nine Leadership Moments, Nine Leadership Principles - Know yourself, Explain yourself, Expect much, Gain commitment, Build now, Prepare yourself, Move fast, Find yourself, Remain steadfast."

5- "It is not just how many followers one has; it is also how many leaders one has created among them. The more leadership in the ranks, the more effective is one's own."

6- "Achieving an organization's imperative is a leader's calling, but sometimes we confront moments when we must do otherwise. Such moments must be relatively unique, otherwise inconsistency in our organizational leadership will be evident for all to see; but if they are unthinkingly bypassed, our value as a leader may be doubted by everyone, including ourselves."

7- "If you expect those who work for you to exercise their own judgement, provide them with the decision-making experience now."

8- "If you have difficult decisions ot make and insufficient time to explain them, a key to implementation may be loyal allies who are sure to execute them through thick or thin."

9- "A clear sense of common purpose and a well-formed camaraderie are essential ingredients to ensure that your team, your organization, or your company will perform to its utmost when it is most needed."

10- "Expecting high performance is prerequisite to its achievement among those who would with you. Your high standards and optimistic anticipations will not guarantee a favorable outcome, but their absence will assuredly create the opposite."

11- "Recognizing people's diverse motives for participating is an essential first step in mobilizing their contributions. Creating an opportunity for all to succeed - whatever their motives - is an essential second step in harnessing their contributions even when the room at the top is not big enough for all."

12- "Some of today's small actions in mobilizing others may prove of little value, but others may have great results. Since you often cannot know which will later become critical, you cannot afford to avoid or ignore any now."

13- "Buy-in by all those affected by an organization's change hastens its achievement. Consultation with them, engagement of them, and appeals to them are the critical steps for building acceptance of the change."

14- "Inaction can be as damaging to leadership as inept action."

15- "Realizing your leadership potential depends on making a match between your vision and an organization. The challenge is to find the right opportunity, pick the right moment, and make the right move."

16- "Consistent, unrelenting efforts to hear and reconcile diverse positions, even when rooted in deeply entrenched and immensely powerful interests, are prerequisite to overcoming any conflict and mobilizing the resources that the contending parties are withholding."

[BukuBukuSnul wisnu permana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terdiri dari 9 peristiwa dari berbagai rentang waktu dan latar belakang yang berbeda tetapi berintikan perihal sama, tentang pengambilan keputusan, tindakan, tidak hanya yang sukses tapi juga yang gagal, salah atau hanya terlambat tetapi berakibat fatal, contoh-contoh kasus dari berbagai kepemimpinan. Judul dari buku ini sendiri adalah salah satu kisah yang dituturkan didalamnya

Diawali bukan dari cerita pendakian ke Himalaya, melainkan dibuka dengan kisah Roy Vagelos dari Merck yang memutuskan memproduksi obat untuk penyakit river blindness, obat yang dibutuhkan oleh orang-orang yang tidak mampu membelinya. Sebuah proyek yang dilihat dari sisi komersial jangka pendek hanyalah sebuah proyek tidak menguntungkan. Sebuah keputusan yang kontroversal pada saat itu tetapi pada akhirnya terbukti berbuah manis. Kisah berlanjut tentang para smoke jumper di Montana, bagaimana kepemimpinan seorang Wagner Dodge teruji dalam 56 menit yang kritis, dimana secara brilian dia mampu lolos dari dinding api yang mengincar nyawanya, skill dan pengalaman yang mumpuni bagi seorang pemadam kebakaran tetapi dinilai gagal dalam kepemimpinan karena 13 anak buahnya tidak mampu lolos dari maut.

Kisah ketiga adalah moment kepemimpinan Eugene Kranz dalam memaksimalkan potensi setiap anggota kelompoknya dan membawa pulang Apollo 13 ke Bumi, di lain cerita ada pula kisah pendakian maut Arlene Blum dalam menaklukan Annapurna, bagaimana kesuksesannya dalam memimpin ekspedisi wanita pertama dalam pendakian ke Himalaya menjadi ternoda. Ada pula kisah dari jaman perang saudara di Amerika, dimana Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain yang sama sekali tidak memiliki latar belakang militer harus memimpin para prajurit desertir yang kehilangan motivasi berperang untuk mempertahankan bukit Little Round Top yang secara gencar diserang oleh pasukan Konfederasi.

Tiga kisah lain adalah Clifton Wharton yang merestrukturisasi institusi TIAA-CREF, pialang besar John Gutfreund yang kehilangan Salomon Inc. dan Nancy Barry yang memilih bergabung dengan Women’s World Banking, ketiga cerita ini penuh dengan istilah teknis moneter yang membuat saya agak sulit untuk mengikuti alur ceritanya.

Cerita ditutup oleh kisah perang saudara yang berdarah di El Savador dan bagaimana determinasi Alfredo Cristiani presiden yang menjabat saat itu dapat mengakhiri pertikaian yang berkepanjangan itu dengan langkah persuasif di meja perundingan dan membawa El Savador kedalam perdamaian.

Michael Useem merangkai kesembilan cerita dengan apik, melengkapi setiap topik bahasan dengan sebuah kesimpulan kepemimpinan. Bagaimanapun sebuah contoh peristiwa nyata dapat memberikan impak lebih dalam proses pembelajaran kepemimpinan dibanding penjelasan poin per poin saja. Dan buku ini dapat meningkatkan simpanan ingatan kita akan momment kepemimpinan, memandu dan memberikan gambaran tindakan yang dapat diambil

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book retelling the stories of nine very challenging situations and the leadership lessons we learn from the those in charge at the pivotal moment. My three favorite examples and lessons were:

* Roy Vagelos decided that Merck would produce the life-saving drug for those suffering from river blindness, even though they couldn't pay. In the long run that was the best answer for everyone, even the shareholders. Vagelos' decision shows the importance of being true to your vision and principles.

* Eugene Kranz returned Apollo 13 safely to earth by building strong teams ahead of time and not accepting failure. His confidence in his team to find a solution was key when the time was short and the consequences were huge.

* Nancy Barry helped build Women's World Banking. After years at World Bank and other various experiences help her prepare to lead. She said, "I feel that my whole life has been preparing me to do this job."

It seems to me that it's not in these big moments that we make our decisions or decide how we will lead, but we should think about these leadership principles ahead of time so that we are ready to make the decisions we need to in order to succeed and help others. Like Nancy Barry, I think we can look back and see that we have been lead and prepared along the way for the opportunities we have to lead.

[Tom Novotny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 4 chapters are the best.

[Adi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did Arlene Blum have a responsibility to stop the second team from ascending Annapurna?
My instinctual, knee-jerk reaction was that she was a terrible leader who allowed her team members to die.

After pondering it, I was using the wrong framework to judge Blum’s leadership. Anyone who pays taxes is paying soldiers and firefighters to put themselves in harm's way. That's why the leadership is responsible for them.

Mountain climbers are only climbing for a closer relationship to God. When they get peritonitis on the mountain, or lose fingers to frostbite, the climbers in the documentaries don’t complain or feel sad, because nobody asked them to climb the mountain.

For Blum to stop the second expedition would [in a sense] be contrary to what they stood for. The leader of the second expedition independently completed the risk/reward assessment and decided to climb the second peak, and it wasn't it her choice?

Mountain climbers are supposed to exemplify freedom and independence, what it means to be human and what life is about. I still think she should have stopped them! But I'd be lucky to climb a 5.10 with air conditioning…