DANCING ON THE EDGE OF GREATNESS: MAKING LEADERSHIP PERSONAL

This book is for anyone with ambitions to scale their impact at work in Asia. As a leader in Asia, you're standing at the edge of greatness — as an individual, a team, and an organization. This is a fast-growing market that truly resonates with mobile first, with a large and growing population that is incredibly young. Universal access to knowledge and technology is empowering the individual to be a powerful force for positive change in the world. So why do we feel so powerless?

Every day, you are under immense pressure to perform at the top of your game. But perfection is such a fragile thing. It's not something you can cling on to, no matter how hard you work. Instead, you end up overwhelmed and burnt out. Somehow, somewhere, you got derailed. Where did you lose your edge? And more importantly, how do you get it back?

This book will bring you into the corridors of power in Asia, the pantheon of the gods in the modern world. We dive into the murky depths of the minds of the most powerful individuals in organizations. I hope these incredible stories will not only engage your mind but inspire your corner-office lust when you realize that you, in fact, every one of us, are born for greatness.

To dance on the edge of greatness.

Contents:

• Introduction: Greatness Requires a Personal Commitment
• Born for Greatness:
  • The Sweet Spot for Performance
  • Reclaim Your Authority
  • Making Leadership Personal
• Personal Leadership:
  • Find Your Calling
  • Starting a New Role
  • Dealing with a Difficult Boss
  • Dealing with Burnout
  • Climbing the Corporate Ladder
  • Job Hopping
  • Being Let Go
• People Leadership:
  • Becoming a New Manager
  • Leading People Through Change
  • Dealing with a Difficult Employee
  • Avoiding NATO Summits and TWOT Meetings
  • Letting People Go
• Organization Leadership:
  • Becoming an Entrepreneur
  • Becoming an Intrapreneur
  • Scaling Your Business
  • Restructuring Your Business
  • Managing Complexity in Your Organization
• Culture:
  • Why We Hate HR
  • Restructuring Without Talent Loss
  • Reducing Employee Turnover
  • Transforming Your Culture
  • Learning at the Speed of Business
• Transformation Tools: What Is YourLeadership Brand?:
  • Leadership Development
  • READY: Frame Your Learning Edge
  • SET: Define Your Leadership Brand
  • GO: Clearly Articulate Your Vision
  • GO: Create A 100-Day Impact Plan
  • GO: Storytelling
  • GO: Listening
  • GO: Acknowledgment
  • GO: Uncomfortable Conversations
  • Culture of Innovation
  • Conclusion
• About the Author
• Acknowledgments
• Endnotes

Readership: For anyone who dreams of becoming a CEO regardless of age, job function, seniority or industry.

'Every leader that aspires to greatness and real breakthrough needs to read this book. This book gets to the real guts and gore of leadership.' - Carrie TanTransformation & Selfwork Coach and politician

'Great leadership is a service. Not a title or position. This book is not interested in confirming the politically correct 'facts' of succeeding in the corporate world, but to deep-dive into the 'why' behind the success, which is usually unsettling, strange and yet true. Success is the reality bridge to our imagination.' - Genevieve GayBusiness & Brand Whisperer, Digital Marketing Maven, Product Marketing Head, Breeze, NCS Pte Ltd

'A refreshing gust of leadership wisdom from Asia; written by an Asian woman to remind us that leadership is not one-size-fits-all. Women have a unique set of leadership skills to bring to the table, and it's deeply personal.' - Molly Martelbanking & finance professional, life coach, cancer survivor

'If you're looking to gain clarity in navigating the complexity and organizational dynamics, step up your communication style with stakeholders and sharpen your leadership approach, look no further. Read this book. It's the best thing you can do for yourself and your team.' - Monica TsaiHead of Telco, Auto and Finance, APAC Partnerships Solutions, Google

'Provocative, yet authentic, Dancing on the Edge of Greatness reaches inside leaders' heads to reveal what drives them to peak performance. An energizing and motivating read for anyone in search of the thrill of finding their personal edge.' - Aman Narain#BoomerangBanker, ex-Googler, Global Head of Platforms, HSBC

'Like a spa for the mind, each story in Dancing on the Edge of Greatness brings you through a journey that untangles the knots that inevitably build up in our day-to-day interruptions, distractions and fire drills, leaving you freshly recharged with renewed clarity, focus and commitment.' - Andrew NambokaSolutions Director, Security, Dimension Data

'Dancing on the Edge of Greatness is a refreshing take on leadership and change management. If you are looking for a quick intravenous drip of fist-pumping adrenaline to accelerate your change momentum, read this book.' - Carl HemusCOO, Asia, TMX Global

'Individual success cannot happen in the vacuum of collective failure. This is the leadership survival handbook for ambitious leaders. Sophia's nuanced exploration of being a leader — that it's not a lonely job — is refreshing and a joy to read.' - David SimonsenDirector, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon

'This book provides leaders with vital strategies to build great teams and deliver business impact at scale.' - Dwayn LythgoOperate Leader, Risk Advisory, Deloitte Asia Pacific

'Dancing on the Edge of Greatness is a beautifully written and generous meditation; reminding us to act from an entrepreneurship mindset. This book will inspire you to give yourself a shot at doing something BIG or SPECIAL with your life.' - Ishan ChatterjeeManaging Director, Product Partnerships, APAC, YouTube

'This is the secret that all successful leaders know: when to stop thinking and start doing. Too many leaders focus too much time thinking about the right strategy, instead of doing and modifying along the way. Change is a constant in this day and age; one needs to be agile. This book shares many examples, and I recommend reading it.' - James KohTalent scout, Founder & CEO, James Kenneth Koh Executive Search

'This book is an invitation to ring in the new era of creativity at work. Making leadership personal is the rocket fuel to bring your creative genius all the way to the boardroom.' - Joāo FloresRegional Executive Creative Director, media.monks

'Insightful, instructive and poetic — Sophia eloquently juxtaposes her own personal journey with a series of mental models tested on the top corporate and tech startup leaders in Asia. An engaging read and a wonderful resource to keep at hand to guide you on your leadership journey.' - Karl NoronhaVP, Strategy & Operations, B Capital Group

'If you're passionate about working with people, organizations and the wider community to help them achieve their potential and make a difference, this book is a must-read.' - Manoj MenonFounder & CEO of Twimbit

'This book helps you reconnect with your passion for leadership. 'It's a privilege to lead ... You have the power to make someone's life better.' Sophia Chin covers a range of challenging situations faced by leaders today, highlights potential blind spots and offers practical advice on responding purposefully to these challenges while building a more fulfilling career for yourself.' - Thurai ThavasikkannuHead of Real Estate Funds, Asia, Vistra

'In our busy lives, we can get bound by old ways of thinking. We don't accept and even punish failures. We try to frame the entire organization from performance dashboards to career development, without spending enough time exploring and asking 'Why'. This is an invitation to kick off your shoes, get grounded and read the book — and feel infinitely alive, finding back that purpose and passion and learn what true ambidextrous leadership is all about.' - Walter KuijpersPartner, Powered Supply Chain, KPMG