What You Really Need to Lead:The Power of Thinking and Acting Like an Owner

What You Really Need to Lead by leadership expert Robert Steven Kaplan explains clearly that leadership qualities are not something you either have or you don’t.  And that leadership is not a destination or a state of being. According to Kaplan, leadership is about what you do, rather than who you are.  For Kaplan, learning to lead involves three key elements:

1. Thinking like an owner;
2. A willingness to act on your beliefs; and
3. A relentless focus on adding value to others.

He compellingly argues that great organizations are built around a nucleus of people who think and act with what he calls “an ownership mind-set.”  He insists that leadership is not a role reserved only for those blessed with the right attributes or situated in the right positions of power.  Leadership is accessible to any of us, today.  It just requires a process of hard work, willingness to ask questions, and openness to learning.

What You Really Need to Lead demystifies leadership and outlines a specific regimen that will empower you to build your leadership skills.  In addition, Kaplan draws on his own experience working with various types of leaders as Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs, Harvard Business School Dean, and President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.  He asks probing questions, provides exercises, and suggests concrete follow-up steps that will help you develop your skills, create new habits, and move you toward reaching your unique leadership potential.

Big Ideas from What You Really Need to Lead will help you develop your capacity to lead.