Startup Leadership (PDF)

Anyone can start a business. But only leaders can
succeed.

Most entrepreneurs know the long odds: only a fraction of them
will lead their enterprises through the rocky stages of growth to
launch self-sustaining companies. Very few know how to outflank the
failures that await them at every turn, including the most
painful--being abandoned by key members of their team or
getting pushed out by their board just as their business starts to
generate real value.

Derek Lidow is on a mission to improve these odds and change
these outcomes. Throughout his long career--as CEO, innovator,
and entrepreneur--he has tested virtually every aspect of
launching a business. Lidow now argues that success is far less
dependent upon a firm's idea or any grand strategy than it is
upon something more personal: leadership. Emerging companies have
specific leadership requirements, stage by fast-moving stage. Few
founders have been able to leverage the tremendous power of this
underrecognized reality--until now.

Startup Leadership demonstrates how founders can adopt
the skills that are required at each stage of their journey.
Whether you are at the idea stage or managing a more mature
enterprise, you can start to recognize the fundamental conflict:
how to balance your selfish drives with the more selfless
leadership required by the organization at any given time. The book
shows you how to achieve this balance by:

* Assessing your unique motivations, traits, and skills

* Creating a personal leadership strategy that leverages your
strengths and mitigates your weaknesses

* Mastering how to lead teams, including boards

* Understanding the five prerequisites for driving change

* Taking control of your inevitable crises, thereby strengthening
your team and your leadership

With Lidow's help, you will learn how to become the
startup leader your business needs, and you'll move forward
with your plans with greater confidence and success.