Fostering a culture of teamwork among business units and partners is crucial for bottom-line success.

"In this deeply insightful look at the demands on 21st-century leaders, Ernst and Chrobot-Mason outline six boundary spanning leadership practices derived from case studies and research with thousands of participating managers. This work is bound to be one of the most

Boundary Spanning Leadership draws on rigorous global research and real-world experience to help leaders move into new frontiers where they can find answers and practices for creating success." — Jack Stahl, former CEO, Revlon, and President /COO, Coca-Cola

Boundary Spanning Leadership.

Through compelling stories and practical tools and tactics, you’ll learn how to apply the six boundary spanning practices that occur at the nexus where groups collide, intersect, and link:

Buffering defines boundaries to create safety
Reflecting creates understanding of boundaries to foster respect
Connecting suspends boundaries to build trust
Mobilizing reframes boundaries to develop community
Weaving interlaces boundaries to advance interdependence
Transforming cross-cuts boundaries to enable reinvention

Together, these practices combine to create what authors Chris Ernst and Donna Chrobot-Mason call the Nexus Effect. The Nexus Effect allows groups to be more agile in response to changing markets; be more flexible in devising and deploying cross-functional learning and problem-solving.

capabilities; work with partners in deeper, more open relationships; empower virtual teams; and create a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive organization that brings out everybody’s best.

Boundaries exist. What matters most is how you work to bridge these divides and transform your organization’s wide-ranging talents and knowledge to deliver value. With Boundary Spanning Leadership, the possibilities are limitless.

Table of Contents :

Part 1: The Forces that Pull Us Apart and Bring Us Together

Chapter 1. The Shifting Leadership Landscape
Chapter 2. Us and Them: Why Identity Matters
Chapter 3. Intergroup Boundaries: The Great Divide

Part 2: Managing Boundaries

Chapter 4. Buffering: Creating Safety
Chapter 5. Reflecting: Fostering Respect

Part 3: Forging Common Ground

Chapter 6. Connecting: Building Trust
Chapter 7. Mobilizing: Developing Community

Part 4: Discovering New Frontiers

Chapter 8. Weaving: Advancing Interdependence
Chapter 9. Transforming: Enabling Reinvention

Part 5: The Nexus Effect

Chapter 10. The Nexus Effect and You