The Leader Within

If ever there was a time for real business leadership to step forward, it's now, contends Howard Haas. In The Leader Within Haas deftly replaces jargon with meaningful language and substitutes wisdom for list making. In the process he defines leadership for a new generation and shows how corporate chiefs can progress beyond management ranks to gain the trust and commitment needed to truly lead their organizations. In the not-too-distant past, American business schools. Caused at least part of the leadership void by giving students the tools of business without the training to become leaders. The result was MBAs with tunnel vision focused on short-term profits, to the ultimate detriment of the company's long-term value. Now, at long last, business schools are beginning to understand the importance of teaching leadership - by bringing in corporate practitioners who have been in the trenches and can teach in the classroom. The Leader. Within is a look at how today's tough-minded executives operate in the new corporate world they are helping to shape. We learn that simplicity and speed are vital elements in keeping modern corporations keenly competitive. The Leader Within contains the reflections and experiences of the CEOs of America's most respected companies, who share their leadership experiences and personal reflections. At the heart of The Leader Within are ideas and thoughts distilled from. Exclusive interviews conducted over the past three and a half years with more than 150 of the nation's top business leaders. Because he is both a teacher and a practitioner, Haas has crafted his book as a personal odyssey, inviting insight, focusing on creativity, risk taking, and flexibility. Most people have the innate ability to lead, but prevailing myths discourage many from even trying. The keys are self-discovery and true knowledge of one's potential. Haas argues. That to become a leader one must strip away the veneer of formulas and buzzwords and encourage each individual to follow the simple premise that since we are unique, we must each find our own unique leadership style. As Haas states eloquently, "Don't search for leadership as a tourist; it's not a stopover for the curious ... It's a long-term proposition. To become a leader doesn't require exceptional personal intelligence, but rather exceptional personal commitment."