The purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the personal leadership practices of unsuccessful and successful entrepreneurs. The focus of the research was on determining what personal leadership practices are used by successful entrepreneurs, what personal leadership practices are used by unsuccessful entrepreneurs, and what differences in personal leadership practices could be observed between the 2 groups. In bringing clarity to the practices of both groups, this research contributed by (a) giving insight into the personal leadership practices common to all entrepreneurs, and (b) giving insight into the personal leadership practices unique to successful entrepreneurs. The quantitative research instrument used in this study was the Byrd Personal Leadership Inventory (BPLI; 2008), which is one of the few validated instruments measuring personal leadership practices. The statements on the instrument are designed to identify the practices used in influencing one's own internal experience or self. Concerning the 6 personal leadership practices measured---Attending to Judgment, Attending to Emotion, Attending to Physical Sensation, Cultivating Stillness, Engaging Ambiguity, and Aligning With Vision---the data showed that the successful entrepreneurs in the sample were using the practices much more often than the unsuccessful entrepreneurs in the sample. The results of the data analysis revealed the critical differences between the personal leadership practices used by both unsuccessful and successful entrepreneurs. By revealing the critical differences between both groups, this study created a personal leadership path to entrepreneurial success. While entrepreneurship is studied widely, the findings of this study give reason to look more closely at the relationship between personal leadership and entrepreneurial success. While a clear relationship between entrepreneurial success and personal leadership was observed in the sample used in this study, a much larger sample should be studied further to ascertain whether the same results hold true generally for the larger population of entrepreneurs. The researcher believes that because the differences between the personal leadership practices of both groups in the sample were so drastic, a larger study will likely have similar results.

This book presents the expertise of authorities on leadership and entrepreneurship. They examine the entrepreneur from a personal, organizational, and multidimensional point of view. In addition, successful entrepreneurs from profit and not-for-profit firms, from hardware and software firms, and from manufacturing and service firms joined with assistance providers, academicians, and researchers to bring a firmer understanding of the qualities that contribute to successful leadership in growth-oriented firms. The book emphasizes what entrepreneurs actually do, how they do it, and what can be learned by examining the common themes or concepts that exist in the practice of entrepreneurship. By emphasizing what entrepreneurs actually do, how they do it, and what can be learned by examining the common themes or concepts that exist in the practice of entrepreneurship, the editors have created a volume of value to researchers and academics in business and management, to public policy makers, and to the business community.

Real-life examples from the author's experience illuminate a step-by-step plan that can help entrepreneurial leaders achieve their goals. Entrepreneurial leaders are in need of a practical compass, and this book gives them just that. Combining principles of leadership and entrepreneurship, the guide covers basic concepts and pertinent issues for leaders at all levels and does so in a manner that is at once lively, relevant, and entertaining. Drawing on the best thinking from both business and academia, the book irrefutably demonstrates the connection between skilled leadership and organizational effectiveness and performance. Readers are provided with two easy-to-follow models that are applicable to all types of organizations. The Opportunity Model (Part I) shows exactly how to identify business-generating opportunities, while the Enduring Leadership Model (Part II) outlines the author's unique leadership principles, what he calls "Personal" and "Professional" Leadership. Used together, these two models give today's entrepreneurial leaders the real-life tools they need to succeed. To illustrate what works—and what doesn't—the author takes readers inside the highly volatile beverage industry and shares his greatest successes and failures running Adirondack Beverages, a company that still thrives today based on principles instilled more than 20 years ago.

***A WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER*** From the organizational experts at FranklinCovey, an essential guide to becoming the great manager every team deserves. A practical must-read, FranklinCovey’s Everyone Deserves a Great Manager is the essential guide for the millions of people all over the world making the challenging and rewarding leap to manager. Based on nearly a decade of research on what makes managers successful—and includes new ways of thinking, tips and techniques—this volume has been field-tested with hundreds of thousands of managers all over the world. Organized under four main roles every manager is expected to fill, Everyone Deserves a Great Manager focuses on how to lead yourself, people, teams, and change. Readers can start anywhere and go everywhere with this guide—depending on their current problem or time constraint. They can pick up a helpful tip in ten minutes or glean an entire skillset with deeper reading. The goal is for the busy manager to know what to do and how to do it without interrupting their regular workflow. Each role highlights the current, authentic problems managers face and briefly explores the limiting mindsets or common mistakes that led to those problems. With skill-based chapters that cover managerial skills like one-on-ones, giving feedback, delegating, hiring, building team culture, and leading remote teams, the book also includes more than thirty unique tools, such as a prep worksheets and a list of behavioral questions for your next interview. An approachable, engaging style using real-world stories, Everyone Deserves a Great Manager provides the blueprint for becoming the great manager every team deserves.

The principles and practices of Personal Leadership help people access the inherently creative possibilities that exist when they come together from different backgrounds or with different perspectives. Instead of turning away from difference in fear or mistrust, Personal Leadership helps people engage with difference from a place of inspiration, curiosity, and full intelligence, and in alignment with their highest and best. The three authors have extensive personal experience working and living across cultures and in situations of difference, in both domestic and global contexts. The fifty stories used throughout the book to illustrate the core themes are drawn from their own lives and from those of the many Personal Leadership practitioners in global business, international education, diversity initiatives, team building, community building, international cooperation, and leadership development. Together they show how we can use Personal Leadership when we find ourselves in unfamiliar environments, in contexts that are rapidly changing, or in the midst of personal or professional transition. The book is well-written, easy to read, and intends to help us all "make a world of difference."

An esteemed executive coach shows managers and leaders how they can achieve personal and professional success—and leave a mark on the world. Dr. Joelle Jay's The Inner Edge: The 10 Practices of Personal Leadership draws on timeless principles and Jay's experiences with hundreds of leaders from America's most successful and admired companies, setting out ten essential components of leading well and living well. In The Inner Edge, Dr. Jay offers customized coaching to help leaders overcome challenges, leverage opportunities, and maximize their talents, teams, and time. Through vivid examples, conversations with accomplished leaders, insightful perspectives on leadership, and thought-provoking questions and exercises, Jay shows readers that leadership is not just a label, but a way of life. Finding your edge, gaining clarity, focusing and taking action, expanding your knowledge—under Jay's training these and other principles become concrete achievable assets for living and leading. The result is an essential resource for helping leaders get results for their organizations in a way that capitalizes on—and enriches—their own unique identity.