Great leadership is a killer differentiator. But not many businesses have it or even try to get it. This book is about what great leadership is and what it takes to achieve it.
Great leadership is challenging yourself and your team to a powerful, exciting vision and goals to the point where your people say, "You’re crazy, how the hell are we going to do that?" Then it’s working with them to develop, grow, and have insights about what needs to be done. Communication is key to all of these, so it must be done often and address not only the message you want to convey but also what your team needs to hear. Most people don't deal well with uncertainty, so be as transparent as you can.
Although it is sometimes necessary to work in the business, it's most important for the leader to spend most of their time working on the business. That means you need to surround yourself with good people who will challenge the organization like you do, and empower them to make decisions, even if it leads to some mistakes. Great leaders know that mistakes are not all bad, because people learn and grow from them.
Great leaders know that the culture of the business is what drives it. They know that the focus needs to be on the success of the business, not them, and they demonstrate that through their actions. Great leaders recognize and understand their moods, emotions, and drive, as well as their effect on others. They know they will get back from their people the behavior they exhibit, reward, and tolerate, and that will become the culture.