The 8 Dimensions of Leadership: DiSC Strategies for Becoming a Better Leader, April/2011

Nobody is really prepared to be a leader, In fact, many leaders never even planned on becoming one--it was just the next logical step in their careers. That's why there are so many books on leadership. So why one more? Because too many books take too narrow a view. They tell you to focus on your particular strength, which is only a part of the story. What you really need is a broad perspective on all behaviors needed to be an effective leader.

The 8 Dimensions of Leadership offers both. Based on the recently developed third generation of the DiSC personality assessment--one of the oldest, most widely used, and most scientifically validated tools available--it identifies eight individual leadership styles. By taking a basic version of this assessment online, you can find out if you are a Pioneering, Energizing, Affirming, Inclusive, Humble, Deliberate, Resolute, or Commanding leader. The authors help you understand the psychological drivers, motivations, and "blind spot" characteristic of each style.

But no one style will take youy all the way. A Humble leader may have a hard time making tough decisions. A Commanding leader may run roughshod over people who could be allies. After another assessment to point out the specific areas you need to work on, the authors detail the lessons all leaders can learn from each style. You may always be essentially a Deliberate leader, but to succeed you need to know when you should be a little more Pioneering. This book shows you how to develop a truly multidimensional leadership approach.

After reading The 8 Dimensions of Leadership, you will be able to craft your own approach to leadership--exploring the strengths and challenges of all eight leadership styles--to become the leader you aspire to be.

About The Authors:
Jeffrey Sugerman, Ph.D., is the president and CEO of Inscape Publishing, a leading provider of training materials for the corporate market. Sugerman brings 20 years of experience in senior management, marketing and business development in the technology, training and publishing industries.

Mark Scullard, Ph.D., is the director of research at Inscape Publishing, where he is responsible for product development, research strategies and data analysis. He has over a decade of research and data analysis experience when it comes to the development of psychological evaluation tools and methods. He has also been an instructor at the University of Minnesota, where his curriculum includes psychology, experimental psychology and research methods and statistics.

Emma Wilhelm, M.S., joined Inscape Publishing in 2008 as part of the product development team. Her publishing career has included work at PhotoAssist, Inc., Acorn Media, and Human Kinetics, and her work has ranged from research, to content development, to acquisitions. Wilhelm left publishing for several years to pursue a career in collegiate coaching and teaching, where she oversaw NCAA and YMCA leadership programs for undergraduates.