Essential Leadership: Develop Your Leadership Qualities Through Theory and Practice

Essential Leadership is a practical, accessible book that tackles theory and practice in an integrated and stimulating way. You are encouraged to engage with a wide range of leadership theories and frameworks as well as rate your own leadership skills and qualities, make realistic self-development plans and start to experiment with new or different approaches. Rather than offering one best way forward or becoming overly theoretical, this book is a pragmatic resource for new and experienced leaders looking to navigate the leadership literature and start to fully realize their own leadership potential.

Supported by exercises, practical examples, rigorous self-assessments, advice and suggestions, Essential Leadership offers an important guide for those currently working, or planning to work, in a 21st century business environment with all its complexity and uncertainty. It provides an over-arching framework of five essential leadership qualities that can be refined and combined as leaders grow, allowing them to be particularly responsive to the business context. The book allows readers to discover and develop their own leadership qualities, and master them through understanding, experimentation, feedback and reflection. Cutting-edge research into Millennial Leadership is also included, as are sections on developing your leadership maturity throughout life, and how leadership culture forms and changes. Online supporting resources include lecture slides and an instructor’s manual.