Leading Growth

Introduction

THE SHORT, TRUE story that makes up the prologue is one of the best definitions of leadership you might ever encounter. It provides the idea that a person can step up and take accountability for what promises to be a difficult outcome, and in doing so, become a leader. The drill sergeant had no intention of fighting any of the soldiers in his charge. Instead, he wanted to see who would step up, who would do what was necessary when pressed to do something difficult and unpleasant.

I have no military experience myself, so beyond the prologue and the following story from Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, you will find only sales leadership, because it is something I have practiced and studied long enough to write this book.

Ender's Game is a science fiction book about a military force that identifies very young geniuses, taking them to space to prepare to fight aliens that almost destroyed their planet. Author Orson Scott Card begins his introduction by sharing how he came up with the main idea in the book. When he read the three-volume book The Army of the Potomac by Bruce Catton, what struck Card was the fact that three different generals led the Union Army, all of them failing for one reason or another. General Ulysses S. Grant, the fourth leader, took over with the same army, the same enemy, the same leaders, the same horses, and same terrain as the generals he replaced. The difference between Grant and the others was his willingness to use the army as an extension ...