What Makes a Great Leader Great?

Every move ahead in your business or in your career means more responsibility and more people who answer to you directly or who follow your example.

As you progress, others look up to you. What do they think of you? How are you perceived by those above you?

Do you have personal authority, or only position authority? Do you inspire great performances, or do you demand them?

James M. Kouzes, a world-renowned expert on the nature of leadership, has spent many years looking into the answers to these questions. He is fascinated by the distinctions that give some people the ability to get better performances out of everyone around them. Jim lets us know that everyone is a leader in some size, shape, or form — and the tools and techniques in Achieving Credibility will provide inspiration and success at any level.

In an effort to discover the key to effective leadership, Kouzes and his research partners culled data from more than 15,000 surveys, 400 case studies, and 40 in-depth interviews. Based on this research, he identified one trait as the cornerstone of all leadership: credibility.

In Achieving Credibility: The Key to Effective Leadership, you'll find a truly human approach to leadership — one that identifies and focuses on the traits we all admire in other people. Kouzes helps you put your finger on the intangibles that make some people stand head and shoulders above their peers, and you'll come to understand why building credibility is such a fundamental aspect of the leadership process.

This is a must-listen for all managers, leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals. Listen thoughtfully and discover:

• The six disciplines of credibility
• How to readily establish trust with others
• Specific ways to promote education and deeper understanding among employees
• How to regain credibility if you've lost it
• The technique of conflict resolution on the basis of principles rather than positions
• How to cultivate the qualities in yourself that all people look for in a leader
• How you can reach your maximum potential by motivating others to reach theirs

If your desire is to create the perfect work environment — where people are motivated, trust one another, and share similar goals and visions — then Achieving Credibility is the blueprint for you.

While leadership is Kouzes' main thrust, his themes of trust, honesty, sensitivity to diversity, sustaining hope, and engendering community are skills for anyone who works with people. With employees, with bosses, with customers, with vendors, with business partners, with family and friends — we need to be credible with all the people in our lives to accomplish almost any objective we set for ourselves.