The authors' both consult to organizations on managing and developing leadership talent. Tim Casserley is a Director of an international organization consultancy and also of a sustainable leadership consultancy and David Megginson is Professor of HRD at Sheffield Hallam University. Both have written and researched extensively. This book represents their research involving 100 high flyers of 29 nationalities in 21 countries, while also capturing their own experiences. The potential readership includes organizational high flyers, business leaders and managers, HR professionals, coaches and mentors and anyone supporting those identified as high flyers.
The authors' state “The purpose of this book is not so much to question pervading paradigms of burnout – although it does – but to question prevailing paradigms of leadership development and in doing so put forward a new paradigm of leadership learning” In their conclusion to the text they observe “This book has been about leadership how emerges within the conditions of contemporary organizational life”
The book consists of seven chapters and the aims above of which are addressed in the following chapter title format:
- 1.
Sitting on the ashes of the fire – illustrates three types of burnout in a story format without any commentary. These are referred back to in Chapter Two
- 2.
The edge and how to explain it – presents definition of what burnout is and likely causes and manifestations. This chapter also provides detail of the authors' research findings and current burnout research.
- 3.
On committing corporate suicide – looks at the reasons for having high flyers and the nature of global employment trends. The consequences of burnout for organizations and the effects for their high flyer cadre are also identified and discussed.
- 4.
How to burn out – examines individual perspectives on burnout and provides main research findings for each one. Personality and behaviours alongside sense of purpose are explored and consequences for individuals are highlighted. Interestingly in their introduction to the book the authors observe “When we referred to the literature on burnout we discovered that leading authorities in the field believed burnout was largely caused by organizations rather than those who work for them.”
- 5.
The hero's journey – considers the learning that arises from burnout and identifies appropriate and relevant learning processes. This chapter explores burnout as a significant leadership development experience and considers what it takes for high flyers to learn from burnout.
- 6.
A ledge beyond the edge – presents a business case and rationale suggesting that organizations regard burnout as a learning process. This chapter presents tools to capture learning from burnout and a model of coaching that enables learning from the process.
- 7.
Developing leaders with purpose – concludes the findings from the authors' research and notes departures from other research findings in the field. The chapter sets out a new paradigm for leadership learning and in doing so identifies the implications for organizations, high flyers and those who work with and support them.
Casserley and Megginson highlight in their introduction that this was not an easy book to write in view of the subject matter and the implications of previous research in the field. Throughout the text prior research and current assumptions are explored, questioned and challenged. What the book achieves is well presented and thorough research which also captures the stories and feelings of those who have gone through or successfully avoided burnout. The further challenge of relating burnout, a destructive process, to learning and developing from that process, is equally well met. Overall presentation is reader friendly as regards punctuation of the text by figures, comparison tables, examples and models. Each chapter has thorough end notes and there is a comprehensive bibliography.
The text is thought provoking from an individual point of view in that each of us can potentially relate to context and subject matter. There is also significant learning potential for organizations as regards their approach to developing their future leaders and retaining their talented high flyers.
