Amazon.ca:Customer reviews: Building the Bridge As You Walk On It: A Guide for Leading Change

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 12, 2016

The entire book was relatable. You can only build a bridge when you know who you are- identity is key. This was one of the required readings for my doctoral program but would have loved to read it for fun- which I will still do.
I read the electronic copy, but I will recommend a hard copy because of the too many important stories and good quotes that one will need to go back to.
Useful for all walks of life- home, family, church, work. Just great!

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Digger

Good book but it helps to read his previous book ...

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 1, 2018

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Good book but it helps to read his previous book "The Deep Change Field Guide" prior to reading this one.

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Karin

To Understand Change and Leadership

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on August 3, 2012

I read this book as part of my grad degree program and I read Deep Change as part of my workplace development. Both books are helpful for anyone who wants to develop a solid understanding of what role they play in any change and leadership situation; it also aids in understanding how to determine where *you* are in the process and where others in your orbit are in the process. This is not a quick fix, cure all problems read-it is a great fundamental positioning for the future. Forget about programs and what to do lists for now-read these two books, ponder them carefully. Then, then, you may have developed a nice core foundation for proceeding forth. My next recommendation after this is Immunity to Change-and that is the book that moves you from foundation to action. Truly understanding what is going on in our internal change process.

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Tanya Boyer

Ordinary Individual, Extraordinary Leader

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 21, 2004

While this is the third book written by Quinn in a trilogy on the process of helping individuals and organizations to make deep change, I happened to read this one first. I then eagerly read his other two books.
It is human nature to find a comfort zone and then try our hardest to stay in that zone. We feel safe, secure, and in control in our comfort zone. Sometimes, however, we try so hard to stay in the zone that we exert more energy than it would take to change. So why not change? Change is difficult and necessitates giving up power. Prior to reading the book I felt it was almost admitting failure. Change can be especially difficult when we are acting in the role of leader, and trying to move a large group of individuals toward the fulfillment of a goal or vision. How, then, do we lead and manage change? How do we transform an organization?
Leadership is a state of being, which Quinn calls the "fundamental state of leadership". This is a state in which we are open to personal change, and consequently draw others to us by our change in behavior. In the book Quinn gives a detailed explanation of this new model of leaderhip and thoroughly examines the personal nature of change. He gives examples ordinary people who have led extraordinary change efforts. These stories motivate, they bring heroic efforts within reach of the ordinary individual.
Executive, middle manager, associate, student, father or mother - all will benefit from this book.

4 people found this helpful

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Larsen Boyer

Leading in Life

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 28, 2004

Reading this book caused my understanding, interest and excitement about self-management and self-motivation, and about leading and motivating others, to expand enormously - perhaps even to explode in a positive manner. After discovering the table of "Eight Polarities and Eight Creative States," I have referred to it repeatedly. All of us know that motivation of one's self or others may be ethereal and certainly is metastable. Dr. Quinn has carefully chosen the most pertinent terminology and thoroughly explained why and how we can move toward balance between the extremes of the Eight Polarities and thereby lengthen our stay within "the fundamental state of leadership." The examples shared are contagious - as is the fundamental state of leadership.
Dr. Quinn explains, "Teaching...the concept [is] not the key. The key [is] to challenge [others] and support them in choosing to enter the fundamental state of leadership" following one's own inherently contagious example. Excitement mushrooms from the possibility and understanding of how to choose to live in the fundamental state of leadership and consequentially to pervade positive, effective leadership influence.

2 people found this helpful

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GE

A powerful synthesis of what can make a leader great

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 5, 2017

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This book captures the essence of transformational leadership in a way that few do. I have studied leadership, trained and mentored leaders, and applied the principles and practices in my own life as a co-founder of a successful life sciences company. Quinn has synthesized his many years of experience in the classroom and in the board room, not to mention in his family life, and delivered a powerful set of ideas, models, and activities for anyone who wants to reflect on their own leadership and be involved in developing the leadership of others. I particularly appreciate his comparision of the "Normal State of Leadership" and the "Fundamental State of Leadership" (which I call best self leadership). In some ways what he writes is not "new" but the clarity with which he presents it makes it so easy to recognize and as a result to organize my own thinking. His eight practices that lead to and/or are expressions of the Fundamental State (Reflective action, Authentic engagement, Appreciative inquiry, Grounded vision, Adaptive confidence, Detached interdependence, Responsible freedom, Tough love) are snapshots into much deeper areas of leadership with many ways to understand and express one's best self as a leader. All in all, I highly recommend this book. It is especially useful for experienced leaders reflecting on and wanting to further their leadership practices and for those young leaders looking for a roadmap to their own development as leaders.

3 people found this helpful

Mat633

It will become a classic

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 24, 2006

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Base on my understanding of the American society, I am not surprised that this book, like Quinn's previous book "Deep Change," doesn't get as many reviews as it deserves, but I am confident that this book, and Qinn's trilogy, will become classic down the line.

This book would seem esoteric for the society that is addicted to data and techniques, thinking that what we need is more information and skills in order to lead. It does require the reader to be more mature to understand the content at a deeper level. In my case, my understanding of Systems Theory helps a great deal. In fact, this book fills the gap that is missing in the systemic leadership books that I have read.

Edwin H. Friedman's A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix is one of the books that I like best on leadership and systems theory. However, even though it describes the sickness of the societies, organizations, families, etc. extremely well, it lacks the recommendation for the leader to develop the systemic quality to transform the society, organization, or family he or she is leading. Quinn's books fill the gap right on the spot.

As a Chinese living in America for 16 years, my concern is seeing the rampant reductionism in this society that seems to be leading America to gradually becoming like a third world nation that I escaped from. Books like this, though few, give me hope. America has a bright future if more leaders can chew this book, and its two siblings.

19 people found this helpful

J.R. Hofheins

"Manage the outside by managing the inside ...(of yourself) that's a Daoist description of how I see

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 11, 2019

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Wonderful paintings to organic leadership that few have the williness to do. Its Internal approach requires wild self awareness, deep humility, willingness to give up ones past ideas and successes in order to keep up to speed with the energetic vibration of a larger perspective. Yielding to seeing anew what is before now me . Openness to retuning my instrument each time is basic to the process.
Having grown up in a rather strenuously focused internal personal development experience that was/is sated with joy and bliss, it is obvious that the "fundamental state of leadership " is likely drawn from Asian approaches to life, governing, leading and developing. I have not read the whole book, I've lived the title for 46 years. But I recommend the core of the approach and the inspiration of the author and the real stories within the book. Consider Daoist teachings as well, like "The book of leadership and strategy" and more. See "Taoist Classics Vol 1" by Thomas Cleary

2 people found this helpful

Kayecc

Fresh Perspective In Leadership Frameworks

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 30, 2013

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There are so many books regarding leadership skills, habits, traits, techniques, attitudes that I did not think there was much anyone could add to the huge data base. However, Robert Quinn finally gets to the essential conflict of "are leaders born or made?" He shares stories that show us that it is really who we are that is the basis for authentic success as a leader. Yes, the use of self is key to being a good leader and Quinn tries to get at the very elusive capacities of self-awareness, consciousness and value driven connections that are rarely identified in leadership development. Non-verbal intention, expression and persona are conveyed without language . People read who you are, do you know who you are? How to teach a higher level of self-understanding and motivation is a difficult task. I thank Quinn for attempting to add these personal, perhaps trans-personal qualities to the discussion.

Terry Tucker

What to Think?? Change or Bridge Building?

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 1, 2005

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This book is deeply esoteric, and if you have not had the benefit of reading his first book, Deep Change, then you may find yourself wondering what the key elements to change and bridge building are. Although the author offers pearls of wisdom, they are hidden and dispersed throughout the chapters. Don't expect to read this book over the weekend in order to start on the next. This book requires time and thought, and, you will need to discern for yourself what the potential lessons are. In some ways the author appears confused about whether he is attempting to convey how to develop deep change or if he is attempting to convey bridge building. You will need to decide for yourself if this is merely semantics. In my mind, there is a definite distinction between the two yet the author has trouble deciding what he is trying to present. In some ways the book reminds me of Sufi Parables; in that you may discern a different meaning or lesson on a different day depending on your attitude and mind set at the time of the reading. All in all, this is a deeply philosophical book that may leave you disappointed. My suggestion? Pass this one up and go for his earlier book, Deep Change

36 people found this helpful

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4 star		13%
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