--From Chapter 1

The ability to lead others is a learned skill. And like any learned skill, its traits and tenets can be acquired through study and honed through practice before they are tested in the field.

Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way is a hands-on account of how a number of today's most accomplished global leaders--not just in the military but in business, politics, and virtually every walk of life--were trained in effective leadership at the United States Naval Academy, and how the skills and tools they learned can be taught to anyone. This step-by-step book removes the veil of mystery by breaking leadership down into its identifiable, educable components, then discussing how each can be acquired through education, drilling, and the acceptance of nothing less than true mastery.

Whether you are looking to unravel the "secrets" of leadership for your personal development, or have been given the responsibility of developing leaders in your company or organization, this straightforward and plain-spoken book details:

• Six common personality traits that inhibit the ability to lead effectively--and how each can be overcome
• The tenets of practicing great followership--more than any other anything else the key to becoming a great leader
• Techniques for inoculating future leaders against the stress they will experience tomorrow by exposing them to brief but intense doses today
• The secrets to emotional intelligence--becoming self-aware, self-regulated, self-motivated, and socially skilled
• Strategies for developing the three D's of empowerment--Decide, Delegate, and Disappear

Exceptional leadership skills can be taught. Furthermore, they must be taught if the business world is to bring itself out of its current global leadership malaise. Let Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to train and develop leaders with integrity, vision, and drive--who consistently do the right thing if for no other reason than it is the right thing to do--and stock your organization with trained leaders who exhibit character and commitment.

The battle-proven program for teaching anyone how to take initiative, triumph over adversity, and become a leader

Each day's business news seems to bring a new tale of questionable corporate ethics and decision-making leading to financial disaster. In virtually every case, the roots of the problem can be traced to weak, ineffective, and incompetent leadership.

But one organization--the United States Naval Academy--is unprecedented in its ability to turn out consistently well-trained, capable, and successful leaders. Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way takes you inside the classrooms and corridors of USNA. This illuminating book reveals the secrets of the Navy's documented successes and provides you with:

• Twelve timeless leadership principles, with a full chapter devoted to each
• Techniques for training emotionally intelligent leaders, as opposed to teaching "book smarts"
• Fascinating real-life examples of USNA grads who succeeded in combat, government, and business

Today more than ever, business needs leaders who possess frontline knowledge on everything from supervision and communication to teaching and team building. USNA has been shaping such battle-prepared young leaders since 1845. Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way will show you how to bring USNA techniques and practices to your own business, and construct your own stable of young, competent, leadership-trained professionals.

Today, more than ever, businesses need leaders with a rare blend of strength, capability, and integrity. Unfortunately, they're not always easy to come by. Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way details how the U.S. Naval Academy builds quality leaders from the ground up, instilling in them the habits and tools required for outstanding leadershipin any pursuit.

Using real-life vignettes and examples of USNA graduates who experienced breakthrough success in combat, government, and business, this timely book looks beyond just the military aspects to explore:

• Techniques for teaching honor, duty, and commitment
• Empowerment strategies proven to work over centuries of use
• Insights for overcoming the perils of blind obedience

Gregory P. Harper is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a retired Navy captain and aviator. Captain Harper is a national security fellow at Harvard University, and is a former instructor at the U.S. Naval War College, as well as a former director of the National Joint Military Intelligence Center.