There are a myriad of different leadership models and approaches, many of which are highly prescriptive about the type of personality and qualities you need in order to be an effective leader. For example, qualities like charisma, persuasiveness, emotional intelligence, and courage are often highlighted as essential qualities for leadership effectiveness and success.

However, recent research shows that successful leaders can have very different personalities and qualities that they draw on in achieving their results. What they do have in common though, is a true understanding of and ability to leverage their “Leadership Edge” (their unique strengths, abilities, and skills) to influence and inspire others to achieve extraordinary results.

Effective leadership is also about “Positive Stretch” (stretching themselves and their team to push the boundaries and achieve in the upper range of their collective strengths and capabilities). This is particularly relevant in today’s uncertain and competitive environment and markets, where organizations (private, public, and voluntary) are all being challenged to do more with less, to work smarter and optimize the discretionary effort, ideas, and morale of their workforce.

Our experience and the latest research show that the most effective leaders are masters at the art and science of stretch. They never stand still, and they follow the four Stretch Leadership™ Habits. They establish a clear “picture of success” for themselves and their organization,

Sharing Vision (1). They break the shared vision down into manageable Stretch goals, Sparking Engagement (2) with their team. They Skillfully Execute (3) every step of the way, celebrating success and Sustaining Progress (4) and positive energy throughout. In short, they push the boundaries of thinking and possibility, looking for new and innovative ways of doing things to achieve the organization’s goals, while at the same time advancing their own careers.

This book is written as a fable. It follows the journey of a leader with a deficit (or weakness-oriented) mindset gaining insight and experience about how to lead more effectively through stretching and optimizing his own strengths, as well as the strengths of the workforce, to achieve outstanding results.

This book is intended to be a practical and accessible work of fiction rather than an academic text. We wanted to ensure that the powerful concepts, principles, and techniques we work with everyday were brought to life in a relevant and engaging way that could be embraced by as wide an audience as possible.

Although based on actual research and experiences from our own work and coaching, the characters and organization described in the book aren’t intended to reflect any specific person or organization. Although the organization in the book is a for-profit company, it could equally have been a government or nonprofit- sector organization. The principles and concepts apply just as well regardless of the purpose, size, or nature of organization, as we have experienced over the past twenty years through extensive research and leadership-development experience.

James Brook