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Best Practice: How to Walk on the Leading Edge without Falling off the Cliff
Entrepreneurship
Executive Summary
• The complexity of today’s world requires people to walk in many different worlds. Edgewalkers are leaders who sense the leading edge and have the courage to take action on their vision.
• It’s important not to get too far ahead of the pack; walking on the edge onlysucceeds when others are motivated to follow.
• Walking on the leading edge is frequently the only way to succeed. Innovation, risk, and an ability to push beyond comfort zones can often be decisive.
Introduction
• The complexity of the business world today is astounding. Nothing is predictable. The rules of the game are changing. Just when you think you’ve figured out how to have a competitive advantage, a competitor develops a new technology. Just when you think you’ve found the right motivation tool, the values in your workforce seem to shift. Just when you think you’ve found the right geographical area for the expansion of your internationalization efforts, political turmoil erupts.
• Yet some people seem to have an uncanny knack for knowing what’s going to happen before it unfolds. They’re able to create new rules for the game instead of following the rules everyone else follows. They’re able to plan a strategy that seems absurd to most people at first, and is later called brilliant when it’s successful. They are a part of an unusual breed of leaders called edgewalkers.
Mini- Cases
There are many interesting examples of people that successfully walk the leading edge: Jennifer Cash O’Donnell is director of organisational strategy and professional development for AT&T’s Asia- Pacific group in China. Walking between the worlds of operations and organisational development, she helps AT&T achieve great results through a focus on human relationships and team-building, using Barry Heerman’s Team Spirit process. Her success at AT&T Solutions with this team-based programme led to her promotion to the directorship in Asia. This provides her with yet another opportunity to be an edgewalker.
Conclusion
Edgewalkers are the leaders of the future. They are the corporate shamans who bring wisdom and guidance for their organisations. It’s not an easy role to play, but it’s one that’s essential to the success of your organization and one that can make you feel fully alive.
About Judith A. Neal
Judith Neal is the executive director of the Association research, courses, and consultancy to individuals spirituality and work. Before this, Judi spent some years which she ran her own consultancy firm, Neal University of New Haven, Connecticut. She is working be found online at www.fourgateways.com
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