Leadership

Leadership, it is generally agreed, is an essential and even dominant element in a company's success. So, what is it, and how do we get it? Can we just go out and buy some, or send our people to leadership school, or set up mentors in leadership, or read the latest books on leadership , or what? As we all know, it's not that simple. Leadership is a bit like the description of pornography that someone once offered "It's hard to describe, but I know it when I see it." Defining leadership and learning to be a leader can be a very difficult task. Yet, when we face difficult tasks, we should not shirk the task. Even if we fail, we will have learned something in failing. John Widner said "I write to teach myself." So, at this point in the book, I'd like to take a bit of a diversion in the format of the book, and personalize it more. I'll be writing about leadership through an amalgam of my personal experiences as a cadet at West Point, as a manager, as president of a company, as a parent of six children (one of my greatest teachers), as an observer of other leaders, both good and bad, and finally, as one who advises others on leadership and management. In articulating this experience, I'll be teaching...