Learning Leadership (PDF)

A practical framework for developing emerging leaders

Learning Leadership answers the fundamental question, "Are leaders born or made?" The bestselling authors of The Leadership Challenge have again collaborated to show you how to build extraordinary leadership behaviors in yourself and anyone on your team. Based on more than 30 years of research with data from more than 70 countries, this book provides a concrete framework for identifying and developing the leadership potential in everyone, through a series of actions that inspire, motivate, and train. You'll discover five fundamentals of becoming an exemplary leader. You'll see how you can develop a learning mindset and how you can create a context that will foster positive beliefs in others. Whether your and others' leadership abilities are already apparent or nothing more than a glimmer of a spark, this insightful guide gives you evidence-based strategies to ignite the habit of continuous improvement and enable you and others to become betters leaders than you are now.

Great leadership is the critical component to great performance. A leader must possess many qualities, but one of the most important is the ability to learn. Learning is the master skill. This guide provides an actionable framework to help you give structure to the process of becoming the best leader you can be.
* Elevate and enable your and your team's aspirations
* Initiate challenges to both test and build new skills
* Engage support and create a context for learning
* Set goals, ask for feedback, and make learning a daily habit

The research is clear. You are already leading, just not frequently enough. It's not about raw talent. It's about using more of the abilities you already have. Leadership is a skill like any other--some may have more talent than others, but anyone can learn to become better with deliberate practice, designed learning experiences, and the right guidance. All leaders, regardless of innate or learned abilities, require a supportive and challenging environment in which to develop their skills and truly step into the leadership mindset. Learning Leadership is a practical guide for building leadership in anyone.