U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously said in his 1964 Order that he could not use words to describe pornography, but "I know it when I see it." On some level, the reverse may be said about leadership; sometimes we don't know it when we see it. People may provide a definition but aren't always aware of it when it's happening.
A simple, yet commonly accepted, definition of Leadership is someone who attracts followers. By that standard we're obligated to include Attila the Hun, Josef Stalin, and Adolph Hitler. However, few people would esteem these individuals if they valued personal safety, independent thought, and voluntary followership. Leadership Lessons and You is meant to be a self-help book. It's designed, organized, composed, and presented to simplify the elements of influence, enabling you to understand virtuous behaviors; the ones that drive performance while engaging others. Our intention is to equip you to strengthen categories of attitude, knowledge, and skill which are essential for enlisting supportive and enthusiastic contributors. This is the ultimate description and measure of personal leadership.
A reasonable person may ask, "Why do you use Donald Trump as the consistent example?" Our response, "We use Donald Trump as a practitioner for every attribute discussed because he's as well-known as any leader, has earned the votes and allegiance of over 70,000,000 American citizens and his popularity appears to be undiminished even after an abundance of personal, political, and legal attacks.
Even if you find the 45th President of the United States to be personally distasteful, you'll benefit from reading this book. After all, military officers at war study the previous actions and tendencies of their opposing generals and coaches of sports teams learn from others in their profession. As I specify in the book; "I come neither, to falsely praise Donald Trump nor to bury him."
The descriptive twenty-six "lessons" are presented in a classic A-to-Z format. Why not? This methodology helped all of us learn about things while we were learning the alphabet. Is it likely it will have the same effect on assisting you to enhance your ability to lead? Possibly.
However, learning the alphabet didn't provide any of us with the mastery of language. We had to spend time sounding out words, arranging the letters, and investing our effort in the hard work of feeling, thinking, and doing. It's the same process for leadership, that's the "you" part. You'll notice that, in addition to the A-to-Z presentation, there are lots of provocative suggestions and plenty of space for you to record your experiences, ideas, and commitments.
