A guide to the role of solitude in good leadership, including profiles of historical and contemporary figures who have used solitude to lead with courage, creativity, and strength. Throughout history, leaders have used solitude as a matter of course. Eisenhower wrote memoranda to himself during World War II as a way to think through complex problems. Martin Luther King found moral courage while sitting alone at his kitchen table one night during the Montgomery bus boycott. Jane Goodall used her intuition in the jungles of Central Africa while learning how to approach chimps. Solitude is a state of mind, a space where you can focus on your own thoughts without distraction, with a power to bring mind and soul together in clear-eyed conviction. Like a great wave that saturates everything in its path, however, handheld devices and other media now leave us awash with the thoughts of others. We are losing solitude without even realizing it. To find solitude today, a leader must make a conscious effort. This book explains why the effort is worthwhile and how to make it. Through gripping historical accounts and firsthand interviews with a wide range of contemporary leaders, Raymond Kethledge (a federal court of appeals judge) and Michael Erwin (a West Pointer and three-tour combat veteran) show how solitude can enhance clarity, spur creativity, sustain emotional balance, and generate the moral courage necessary to overcome adversity and criticism. Anyone who leads anyone-including oneself-can benefit from solitude. With a foreword by Jim Collins (author of the bestseller Good to Great), Lead Yourself First is a rallying cry to reclaim solitude-and all the benefits, both practical and sublime, that come with it.

Are you frustrated with how some people ascend the organizational ladder at lightning speed and you can't seem to get on that first rung? Have you ever wondered what are the core skills you need to successfully become an authentic leader? First, Lead Yourself not only tackles the biggest problem in leadership development that holds millions of people back from achieving their full potential, it weaves together the essential ingredients required for your own success as a leader. This book is full of practical tools, exercises and insightful stories that will accelerate you along the path towards achieving your leadership goals. Backed by research into personal change, high performance, resilience, and advanced communication skills, First, Lead Yourself is the perfect guide for anyone looking to step up and lead. This book is amazing. I had so many 'aha' moments. Although not really a self-help book, I've learnt so much about myself from Cillín, I'm now more comfortable being me and more aware of my personal rules, I didn't realise I had so many! The wisdom Cillín shares has enabled me to become more resilient, a better leader, and most importantly, a better parent. Luke Johnstone. Director, Double-O Consulting Working with Cillín as my coach over the last few years, he has taught me many tips, tricks, technique, and strategies to inspect and learn about myself so that I can grow in my own leadership journey. This book is an amazing toolkit collection of those teachings and I, for one, am extremely grateful to have it all put together in one place. I can see that my own copy of this book is going to be well-thumbed through and dog-eared before too long. Cillín's storytelling and real life examples make this book memorable and, most of all, enjoyable to read. June McClintcok. Manager Products, FMG Our team has been fortunate to experience transformational work with Cillín. Now, with First, Lead Yourself, his self-led development approach, mixing stories and exercises, is available to everyone. Stevo O'Rourke. Director, Ocular

Become a passionate, purposeful, and meaningful leader through identifying who you are, your strengths, and your skills. New York Times bestselling author Stedman Graham's Identity Leadership is a very personal and prescriptive guide that is based on his philosophy that a leader can't lead others until he can first lead himself-the more he works on himself -- the more he can give to those around him. To know our purpose in life, we begin with our passions, skills, and talents, and with this book we learn how to channel the best of who we are to achieve success for ourselves and those we lead. In Identity Leadership, Graham examines why self-awareness matters, how leaders lead, the importance of communication, and much more. He then shows the reader how to step into their role as a leader and create their identity leadership plan. Key to the journey is believing in yourself, knowing your competence, continually challenging yourself, and being patient with yourself. Graham uses anecdotes from his own life, as well as discussing successful leaders, to illustrate the importance of identity leadership in each of our lives. Self-leaders can create a roadmap that leads to personal growth, development, and improvement of performance in every area of life. Identity Leadership provides the tools-self-awareness, emotional intelligence, discipline, and more-needed to continually plan and execute learning and development of our talents and skills. These tools enable readers to commit to a personal vision and lead with purpose.

This master class on leadership, written by one of America’s most prominent and successful executives, will help you develop the professional leadership qualities that deliver personal, interpersonal, and organizational success. ​In Learning to Lead: The Journey to Leading Yourself, Leading Others, and Leading an Organization, Ron Williams provides you with practical, tested leadership advice, whether you’re searching for a new career, looking for proven management solutions, or seeking to transform your organization. Developed from Williams’s own personal and professional journey, as well as the experiences of America’s leading CEOs, these strategies emerge boldly from engaging stories, outlined with practical steps for you to accomplish goals such as— • Launching your career quest • Avoiding professional pitfalls, wrong turns, and wasted effort • Overcoming interpersonal challenges and conflicts • Building and leading an effective, high-performance team • Prioritizing and solving problems from multiple perspectives • Developing your leadership style and mastering communication • Casting a vision and changing the culture of your organization After finishing Learning to Lead, you will be well equipped to take the next step to success in your personal and professional leadership journey. Williams’s book has the potential to join other leadership development classics on your shelf—to be read repeatedly and consulted throughout the span of your career.

Lead yourself to success—and others are sure to follow “For leaders looking for a plan of ‘Why, What, and How’ to become a better leader, the answer is between the covers of this book.” —Chester Elton, New York Times bestselling author of The Carrot Principle, The Orange Revolution, and All In “Ever wish you could be more confident, more engaged, or more productive in your life? Look no further. All the concepts and tools are right here.” —Ryan M. Niemiec, Psy.D., Psychologist and Education Director, VIA Institute on Character “Self-reliance, courage, confidence, emotional self-awareness, and perseverance encompassed into one leadership concept.” —Garee W. Earnest, Ph.D., Professor, The Ohio State University “Bryant and Kazan’s groundbreaking work challenges us to take the first small steps of what will be for many a lifelong journey of self-discovery from the inside out.” —R. Dale Safrit, Ed.D., Professor, North Carolina State University “Andrew and Ana’s . . . research, insights, and experience provide a practical tool-kit on how you can choose to live your life and your work and influence others to do the same.” —Philip Beck, Chairman, Dubeta “It is generally accepted in the business literature that the heart of leadership is leading self. I believe that leading self is also the path to being a ‘responsible’ leader. The important contribution made by Self Leadershipis that it tells you what to do if you want to get better at leading self. Read this book if you desire to be more effective as a leader and remember, "You don't have to be bad at leadership to get better." —Stephen C. Lundin Ph.D., author of the bestseller, Fish!

Let your lifelong adventure begin today Lead Yourself to Success is your personal guidebook to greatness. Alan Chambers has led many expeditions to the North and South poles but you don't have to lead a national team or a multinational corporation to be successful, as long as you can lead yourself. The desire to learn is human nature, and lessons from those who have been where you want to go are extraordinary opportunities. You gain the insight and guidance you need to get there, and learn how to lead your own expedition down the path to success. Like any adventure, good preparation is key. You don't take off for the North pole on a whim, and you don't just leap into leadership without understanding the responsibilities it entails. This book shows you how to develop the leadership mindset to get wherever you want to go in life, trust your own judgement and come out on top of the world. Uncover your inner leadership potential Learn how others succeed Find the adventure in everyday life Lead yourself on an expedition to greatness Alan helps thousands of people every year unlock the door to higher performance. Every single one of those people was a leader waiting to happen, even if they didn't know it – but once they truly realised where their potential could take them, they became unstoppable. Let yourself become unstoppable with Lead Yourself to Success.

Great leadership is not about trying to be what we're not; rather, it's about helping others be the best they can be. For that to happen, we must be the best that we can be.In this book, Phil has outlined eight key areas that I feel are crucial to our success and character as individuals, and consequently crucial for us as leaders to both model and teach.

The New York Times–bestselling, non-nonsense guide to becoming a better leader through 7 key behaviors, based on a mix of military and corporate training. Leadership is not about job titles—it’s about action and behavior. “Sparks” are the doers, thinkers, innovators, and key influencers who are catalysts for personal and organizational change. But these extraordinary individuals aren’t defined by the place they hold on an organizational chart—they are defined by their actions, commitment, and will. Leadership experts Angie Morgan, Courtney Lynch, and Sean Lynch show how you can become a Spark by cultivating seven key leadership behaviors. Grounded in the latest research on leadership development, this fresh, accessible road map is packed with real-world stories from inside companies like Facebook, Google, and Boston Scientific, and from the authors’ own high-stakes, challenging experiences serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. With SPARK as a blueprint, anyone can become a catalyst for change, and any organization can identify and develop Sparks. “A myth-destroying book that will make you rethink both the theory and practice of leadership.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Drive “If you truly want to become a Spark in your organization and in your life, I urge you to read this book now.”—Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, head coach, Duke University Men’s Basketball “These authors are not only great leadership thinkers, but they have all led people in challenging circumstances…. Trust them to take you to a new level.”—Brigadier General Thomas A. Kolditz, U.S. Army (Ret.), director of the Ann and John Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University

Don’t let a bad boss or manager hold you back from being successful! Every day millions of people with high potential are frustrated and held back by incompetent leaders. New York Times bestselling author and leadership expert John C. Maxwell knows this because the number one question he gets asked is about how to lead when the boss isn’t a good leader. You don’t have to be trapped in your work situation. In this book, adapted from the million-selling The 360-Degree Leader, and now distilled down for busy professionals, Maxwell unveils the keys to successfully navigating the challenges of working for a bad boss. In How to Lead When Your Boss Can’t (or Won’t), Maxwell teaches you how to: position yourself for current and future success, take the high road with a poor leader, avoid common pitfalls, work well with teammates, and develop influence wherever you find yourself. Practicing the principles taught in this book will result in endless opportunities—for your organization, your career, and your life. You can learn how to lead when your boss can’t (or won’t).

In this life-changing book, Dr. Zebulan Hundley offers what has been described as the essential oils- the distilled essence- of self-awareness and self-leadership.Dr. Hundley has a unique gift of taking complex ideas and breaking them down into easily understandable and digestible bites. This affords everyone the opportunity to not only understand these ideas, but to put into practice real strategies that will propel themselves forward in their own journey of personal growth and development.Any journey of self-leadership requires an awareness of where an individual is really starting from. Through Dr. Hundley's unique perspective, one might be surprised to discover that their starting point is often different than they initially thought. Leading Yourself is essential reading for anyone who is serious about taking their life back and achieving not just outward success, but also internal fulfillment.