For too long, the subject of effective leadership has been shrouded in fog and ambiguity. This book removes the shroud to reveal leadership as a skill, one that can be consciously learned and developed by anyone. This breakthrough book identifies the competencies necessary for effective leadership, not by guessing or postulating but by analyzing the responses of tens of thousands of workforce members as they describe, in effect, "What makes a great leader?" The authors analyze the answers and provide a broad and universal model for achieving exceptional results. They outline the five core competencies that form the basis for successful leadership and detail techniques that include: Methods that top organizations use to develop leaders from within their own ranks; Key competencies that leaders must have and techniques for mastering them; Practical steps for developing your own leadership skills. A major weakness in most leadership development programs has been the tendency to aim low and strive for incremental improvements in individual areas of weakness. When the results inevitably fail to impact the bottom line, organizations abandon programs as unsuccessful and again resume their misguided focus on uncovering and eliminating leadership weaknesses instead of identifying and developing leadership strengths. This books instead focuses on the ability for individuals to hone their leadership competencies in multiple areas, and organizations to develop great leaders in as many areas as possible. It provides research-based strategies for strengthening leadership both in individuals and in organizations and, in the process, delivers a solid yet flexible leadership development program that will provide long-term value to virtually any organization.