Space Leadership: Learning from the International Space Station

Who has ever dreamed of becoming an Astronaut? This book is about the challenging experience of leading an international team of astronauts, most of them scientists, living and working together in a highly confined environment, i.e. the International Space Station (ISS). It explores the kind of knowledge and skills that are required to lead a group of leaders without any kind of formal authority. It also enquires on the kind of team leadership you need to succeed in a multitask mission, that is basically controlled by various institutions based outside the station. The main question raised in this book is: What can leaders in organizations located on earth learn from such a unique, outer-space experience? Preparation for leadership in "space-coping" along with space challenges that the leader has to face and managing the return to earth. The report and reflections of the Russian Space leader, Sergey Ryazanskiy, are presented in three parts: - How do you prepare yourself for such a mission? - How do you cope with the challenges in the space station? - How do you manage your re-entry on earth? In earthly leadership terms, these questions are asking: - How do you prepare yourself for a new leadership assignment or role? - How do you deal with the unknown and the unexpected in your organization? - How do you cope with a re-assignment which is much less exciting and challenging than the one you just completed Each part of the book includes some key learnings and practical leadership guidelines. Even more, the readers can find a comprehensive leadership model developed around this unique space adventure by a team of academics and consultants working closely with Sergey.