Vice Admiral Sandra Stosz USCG (ret) - Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass: Leading in Uncharted Waters

PRAISE FOR
Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass: Leading in Uncharted Waters

In this engaging and invaluable book, Vice Admiral Stosz has delivered a prime resource for any leaders library. Principled, pragmatic, and personal, her passion for teamwork is succinctly delivered. Sharing her wisdom from decades of sea service, illuminated by enduring wisdom drawn from classic literature, she reveals how character shapes our success.

James Mattis , General, US Marines (ret.), and 26th Secretary of Defense

Sandra Stosz is the uncommon combination of leader and trailblazer, reflected in her shining character and integrity. Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass is a must-read for those who seek to lead in both military and civilian life.

Jeh C. Johnson , Former Secretary of Homeland Security

Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass teaches you how to adjust and adapt leadership styles to succeed at the next level. Through personal experience leading at every level in the US Coast Guard, Admiral Stosz provides a roadmap for those eager to lead their people and organizations to achieve excellence.

Marshall Goldsmith, New York Times #1 Bestselling Author of Triggers , Mojo , and What Got You Here Wont Get You There

Ive admired Admiral Sandy Stosz for over a decade and am thrilled shes sharing what shes learned over her extraordinary career. Who better to help us navigate the uncharted waters unleashed by the disruptions of 2020 than the first woman to lead a US Service Academy, commanding ships and leading all male teams? Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass is the kind of navigational tool we need now.

Sally Helgesen , Author of How Women Rise, The Female Advantage, The Web of Inclusion

Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass is a barrier-breaking book by a barrier-breaking leader. Admiral Sandra Stosz writes with brilliant clarity, revealing transparency, and absolute integrity about her experiences in navigating uncharted waters. The lessons she shares are timeless, yet especially relevant at this moment in history. Admiral Stosz is a role model for all leaders and living proof of the power of grace, skill, character, and determination. From the opening story to the closing one, this is a book about adhering to core values and how that simple principle is what earns you respect, rank, and reputation. Her moving stories and experience-based tips make this book practical, but its her honesty and transparency that make Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass a must-read. This book, and its author, will restore your trust and faith in the capacity of leaders to put others before self and the greater good before personal gain.

Jim Kouzes , Coauthor of the Bestselling The Leadership Challenge , and Fellow, Doerr Institute for New Leaders, Rice University

Through engaging, insightful stories, Admiral Sandy Stosz illustrates how to lead with character, build trust, and earn respect in a diverse workplace. The proven principles in this indispensable guide are for leaders at every level. It is a must-read for anyone who wishes to inspire others to achieve their full potential.

Donald T. Phillips , Author of Lincoln on Leadership and Character in Action

Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass creates a pathway for leaders from their first responsibility through the executive levelone of the few true cradle to grave books on leadership. Vice Admiral Stosz pursues building leaders with character and ethical judgment as if it were the Holy Grail of leader development, and she now places the chalice in our hands with her new book. Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass is my top choice for this years graduation book for new leaders; we desperately need Vice Admiral Stoszs character-based approach to take our youth, as well as our seasoned leaders, to a level of performance that is ethically and morally straight. Our countrys future depends on it.

Thomas A. Kolditz , PhD, Director, Doerr Institute for New Leaders, and Author of Leadership Reckoning: Can Higher Education Develop the Leaders We Need?

I have had the privilege of knowing Sandy Stosz for almost thirty years as Kellogg business school classmates. After a very successful trailblazing career, Sandy shares her leadership lessons and experiences in a book that will be extremely valuable not only for military leaders but also for those leading in the corporate, not-for-profit, and academic sectors. Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass is a necessary resource for current and aspiring leaders. What a fantastic gift from a terrific leader!

Ana Dutra , Corporate Board Director, Former CEO, Korn Ferry Consulting, and Author of Lessons in LeadershiT: Detoxing the Workplace

The capacity to lead in difficult times is a skill that is timeless in its value and is a necessity in todays world. This capacity has its essence in true character, which is both critical and essential in order to lead decisively, perform confidently, and to inspire successfully in even the most difficult circumstances. Sandy Stosz, in her forty-year career as a Coast Guard officer, embodied and regularly demonstrated leadership qualities and principles that will never become dated. In Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass: Leading in Uncharted Waters she brings these vital skills forward in a manner that every aspiring leader can learn from and use successfully every day. This book is a must-read for leaders in all walks of life!

Sandy Ogg , Founder, CEO.works, and Author of Grow: The CEOs Master Playbook for Coaching Value into Existence , US Coast Guard Academy Class of 1976

Admiral Sandy Stoszs captivating book, Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass, details her compelling rise as one of the first women to reach the executive ranks in the Coast Guard. Her proven principles provide a roadmap for others to follow, showing leaders how to develop and employ the character attributes and core values necessary to lead and succeed with an ever more diverse workforce.

Carol Mutter , Lieutenant General, US Marine Corps (ret.), and first woman in the US Armed Forces nominated to the grade of three-star

Vice Admiral Stoszs expansive addition to leadership literature considers both the tactics and the deep heart of leadership based on her forty years of service in the US Coast Guard, including as the first woman to lead the Coast Guard Academy. Stosz offers exceptional generosity of heart and spirit in a missive of leadership for a changing world. Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass is universal in time and situation, and invaluable to every leader navigating uncharted waters.

Shannon Huffman Polson , Author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World

Vice Admiral Stosz has combined her unique experience as a high-ranking officer in the Coast Guard with the character-building lessons she experienced coming up through the ranks at sea and in her exceptional leadership in presiding as superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy. Her insights about how character builds great leaders are true life lessons for anyone seeking a firsthand look through the lens of someone Newsweek named one of the women who shake the world.

Joe Moglia , Former Chairman of the Board, TD Ameritrade, Former Head Football Coach, Coastal Carolina University, and Author of Coach Yourself to Success: Winning the Investment Game

Admiral Sandy Stosz reveals how to succeed as a leader of character by standing by ones core values in the face of adversity. Her proven principles show leaders how to emerge with their honor and integrity intact, having earned the trust to become respected, successful influencers. Those yearning to serve a greater purpose and make a positive impact on an organization and its people will find a roadmap to success in Breaking Ice and Breaking Glass .