The Brink

About the Author

Mark Hunter is the president and founder of Pinnacle Coaching, LLC, an international leadership coaching company that works predominantly with organizations and executives on leadership and team development. He holds the designation of Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coach Federation, serves as the executive team’s chief development officer, and is a senior program leader for Accomplishment Coaching, LP. Hunter is also a keynote speaker at private and corporate events, leading corporate executive leadership workshops internationally. His contributions have influenced the development of hundreds of business and community leaders.

Main Idea

In The Brink: How Great Leadership Is Invented, Mark Hunter explores the profound gap in leadership that contributes to major global problems such as financial crises, crime, violence, and global warming. He proposes that the solution to these challenges lies in closing this gap through personal leadership development. The book serves as a guide for becoming a leader by facing great challenges and embracing an inward focus rather than external management. By taking responsibility, accepting difficult challenges, and facing fears, individuals can continually grow as leaders both personally and professionally.

Table of Contents

1. Focus on Your Vision as a Leader
2. Know the Answer to “What for?”
3. Choose Everything
4. Normalize the Presence of Discomfort
5. Collaborate
6. Take Ownership
7. Trust in Possibility, Not Probability
8. Embrace Fear to Become Unstoppable
9. Create Integrity
10. Be Unstoppable
11. The Big Picture

Focus on Your Vision as a Leader

The journey towards leadership begins by selecting a significant goal or challenge—referred to as a "mountain." This goal should be substantial enough to evoke fear, as embracing fear is an essential part of accepting any leadership challenge. Leadership, according to Hunter, is practiced mostly internally. He writes,

"Fear will be present on the brink of any challenging leadership possibility. But it may not be outwardly visible in leaders, as leadership is practiced mostly internally." - Mark Hunter

As a leader, your vision must be clear and consistently communicated to your team. This vision connects the goal (the mountain) to what your team members most desire, maintaining focus on the why, what, and how.