The Leader in You: Developing Your Leadership Potential

Leadership research demonstrates that there are serious shortcomings in the quality and competence of leaders in our organisations. The recent global financial crisis has also reminded us that, if our society and economies are to move forward sustainably, we must have the right kind of leaders and the right kind of leadership throughout our organisations. Yet billions of dollars are spent annually on leadership development programs. "The Leader in You" has been framed to be useful to all individuals who are currently in leadership roles, from chief executives to frontline managers, and for those who wish to step up to a leadership role. Organisations can also utilise this book to assist their leaders to increase their leadership potential or to complement leadership development programs. If you want to search for and develop leadership qualities in yourself, then this book is for you. If you want to set a higher standard in your organisation and you think leadership is a serious matter in the lives of other people, then this book is for you. In the process of self reflection, "The Leader in You" will enable you to develop an individual leadership profile and an individual skills profile, culminating in the development of a plan for leadership improvement. This book aims to couple these outcomes with exposure to some practical skills that leaders need to lead in every day environments. The first four chapters allow the reader to develop an understanding of the concepts that underpin leadership performance, and to undertake exercises to develop a comprehensive understanding of their values, behaviours and personality. That is, to understand who they are and why they behave the way they do. An individual leadership profile is developed at the end of these chapters. Then, the remaining chapters look at issues that leaders will face in contemporary society, and at the skills required to address them in everyday environments. An individual skills profile is developed at