People can learn how to lead. This was the position John H. Zenger and Joseph R.Folkman took when they wrote their now-classicleadership book The Extraordinary Leader—and it’sa fact they reinforce in this new, completely updatededition of their bestseller. When it was first published, The ExtraordinaryLeader immediately attracted a wide audience ofaspiring leaders drawn to its unique feature: theextensive use of scientific studies and hard data,which served to demystify the concept of leadershipand get readers thinking about the subject ina pragmatic way. Now, Zenger and Folkman revisit the subject to addressleaders’ most pressing concerns today. Theresult is an up-to-date, essential leadership guidefor the twenty-first century that includes: Late-breaking research on the psychologyof leadership New information on leading in a globalenvironment A breakthrough case study on measuringimproved leadership behavior Studies revealing the importance offollow-through The Extraordinary Leader is a remarkable combinationof expert insight and extensive research.The authors analyzed more than 200,000 assessmentsdescribing 20,000 managers—by far themost expansive research ever conducted for a leadershipbook. Zenger and Folkman have created the leadershipbook of the ages. The Extraordinary Leader explainshow to build leadership skills that will take you andyour organization to unimagined success.

Focusing on the importance of maximizing strengths, this title offers secrets for developing leadership and competitive advantage in any organization.

Secrets for developing leadership and competitive advantage in any organization The Extraordinary Leader is a research-based book about leadership. It analyzes 200,000 assessments from 20,000 managers and presents new insights that demystify this complex subject. It clearly establishes the importance of developing great leaders versus being satisfied with merely good ones, and highlights the link between leadership behavior and an organization's performance. From the authors' research, a new model of leadership emerges that challenges long-held beliefs about leadership competencies. The authors identify 16 competencies that tower above all the others-the ones that separate great leaders from the average. One of the book's major breakthroughs is its focus on the importance of maximizing strengths as opposed to merely correcting weaknesses. Further, the importance of balanced strengths is introduced: when strengths are clustered in one area, the leader is less effective than he or she could be with strengths in different areas.

The classic for managers seeking to hone their leadership skills into a C-Suite position Updated with copious new research conducted over the past ten years, this landmark work provides everything you need to transform yourself from an effective manager to an extraordinary leader. In addition to the time-proven methods and approaches that has made The New Extraordinary Leader one of the most popular leadership books around, this third edition includes•Updated insights on how to demystify leadership•More data on how extraordinary leadership directly benefits employee engagement, customer satisfaction, retention, innovation, and profitability•A brand-new, simplified definition of leadership strengths •Critical research on the importance of developing leadership teams •Three all new chapters that cover: Leadership competencies and how they interplay with each other, The role of cross training in leadership development, and The leader’s role in his or her own development

In their bestselling work The Extraordinary Leader, performance thought leaders John Zenger and Joseph Folkman revealed the 16 key competencies that separate the top 10 percent of leaders from the rest. Since that book’s publication, they and coauthor Scott Edinger discovered, through an extensive study conducted over four years, that leaders who possessed the ability to inspire and motivate outperformed all others. The authors found that the impact of inspiring and motivating others is consistent across different kinds of organizations and within different cultures. The Inspiring Leader reveals the authors’ newest proprietary research on how top leaders inspire teams to greatness. It discusses the behaviors exhibited by the most successful leaders and includes advice on how to implement them. Drawing from statistically significant data and objective empirical evidence, the book shows how to: Establish a clear vision and direction Use the power of emotions Create stretch goals for your team Foster innovation and risk taking Encourage teamwork and collaboration Champion change, and much more Zenger, Folkman, and Edinger lay out the strategies and concepts used by the world’s greatest leaders to motivate their teams. With The Inspiring Leader as your guide, you will learn how to put those strategies to work in your own business.

One of The Globe & Mail's Top 10 Business books of the Year! Rethink Everything You Know About Leadership Strengths "A must-read for anyone wanting to positively stand out in an organization or for leaders wanting to raise the overall performance of the organization." -- Cindy Brinkley, Vice President, Global Human Resources, General Motors "Zenger Folkman's findings related to companion behaviors is exciting. It enhances what's been presented in prior books and makes extraordinary leadership seem like an achievable goal. I would recommend this book to anyone committed to the journey." -- Pam Mabry, Director, Human Resources, The Boeing Company "The authors take the groundbreaking concept of driving leadership effectiveness by building our strengths to a whole new level of practical implementation, providing us with a brilliantly clear road map. I have found this body of work to be absolutely invaluable . . . I cannot imagine a person in a leadership role today who would not find value from reading this book cover to cover." -- Loren M. Starr, Senior Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, Invesco Ltd. How to Be Exceptional is a milestone in the emerging business case for evidence-based management. Building on two decades of earlier research, the authors brilliantly lay out a simple, concrete, scientifically validated model for achieving consistently superior business results through leadership. . . . Its magic is its simplicity, pragmatism, and focus." -- Eric Severson, Senior Vice President, Talent, Gap Inc. "How to Be Exceptional is the best book on professional development I have read in decades. It reinforces the emerging wisdom that the path to greatness is really about building profound strengths, rather than through relentlessly focusing on one’s weaknesses. This is a great road map for any leader seeking to optimize their growth and impact." -- Michael A. Peel, Yale University, Vice President, Human Resources and Administration