The 108 Skills of Natural Born Leaders
The 108 Skills of Natural Born Leaders
by Warren Blank
The myth of “born leaders” has been with us for decades. However, that myth misses an important fact: the qualities great leaders display are waiting in all of us to be discovered, developed, and magnified. No one is actually born a leader. Anyone can become one. All you need is to master the specific set of skills people commonly associate with so-called “natural born” leaders.
Included in this book is a self-assessment inventory which you can use to ascertain which skills are most in need of improvement. You must know where you are before you can determine where you need to go.
Warren Blank’s work identifies the 108 specific traits that typically cause others to see people as natural born leaders. The self-assessment inventory allows you to match up to that common portrait. The book then provides strategies and methods for developing your strengths and improving on your weaknesses.
With examples ranging from Franklin D. Roosevelt to G.E.’s Jack Welch, this book illustrates that leadership qualities fall into three basic categories: Foundational Skills (such as self-awareness), Direction Skills (including the ability to set a course and develop others as leaders), and Willing Follower Skills (such as the ability to influence others and create a motivating environment). The ongoing theme is the simple fact that everything you need to become a leader is right inside of you. This book will help you let your own “natural” skills blossom.
(This book review was originally published in 2001 as one of the Top 10 Books – Edition 7.)