During the 1980s, managers were seen as proactive go-getters who were taking over from the mere administrators who were to blame for the state of British business. They were the new knights in shining armour riding to the rescue in their bright, shiny Porsches. By the 1990s, managers were being cast as reactive and lacking vision and the new heroes on the block were leaders.

Now the truth is that Britain didn’t build an empire and win two world wars without leaders. The administrators of those days were acting as leaders just as the managers of the 1980s were leading their companies out of the stagnation of the 1970s.

What I’m saying is that leaders are not some elite band of people born with innate skills that means their destiny is to lead. They still put on their trousers or tights one leg at a time. Bear that in mind as you read the following.

This section is structured as follows. Quotation/s:

• 33 discusses the making of a leader.
• 34 to 38 outline what leaders must do.
• 39 and 40 are concerned with values and vision building.
• 41–42 provide a means for people to judge if they are acting like a leader.

As you read the entries, consider to what extent you act as a leader every day. You will probably be surprised how often you take on a leadership role. The reason for your surprise is your actions aren’t heroic or visionary. That’s because leadership requires a leader to do only two things: convince people that s/he is going somewhere (this might be from not achieving targets to over-achievement) and persuading them to join him/her on the journey.