What can truly set an organization apart? There is only one asset that offers guaranteed differentiation: leadership. Leadership is a deliberate act. It requires effort but yields enormous payback.

According to professor Shalom Saada Saar and coauthor Michael J. Hargrove — internationally recognized leadership development consultants and executive coaches—leadership can be learned and sustained through deliberation and practice. The leadership principles in this book are based on the authors' thirty years of experience working closely with executives and managers. They have conducted hundreds of coaching sessions, administered scores of 360? feedback assessments, interviewed teams, and examined dozens of leadership models. Leading with Conviction is a result of that research and outlines nine pillars or core competencies that define exceptional leadership: Self-Awareness, Balance, Agility, Leading Change, Resolving Conflict, Creativity, Coaching, Collaboration, and Achieving Results. By adopting the nine pillars, leaders will build core competencies, address weaknesses, and improve their ability to lead with passion and conviction.

The more reliant we become on technology to manage mundane tasks, the more important it becomes to have leaders that embody these nine pillars and who are committed to inspiring people and steering the business. Leading with Conviction offers a wealth of advice to help leaders at all levels establish a compelling vision, motivate their workforce, manage change and conflict, and create benchmarks that lead to sustainable success.

Leading with Conviction is filled with sage advice and engaging and illustrative examples, as well as multiple mini-assessments. It presents a programmatic approach to engage and grow leaders at every level and in any type of organization.

"A tested and inspired approach that will guide you through the work leadership requires."

—Warren Bennis

"Shalom Saar describes effective leadership in terms of grace and lightness—words that equally describe this book. Unlike authors that prescribe a list of tricks and tactics, Saar thoughtfully leads the reader on a journey of self-discovery. With priceless metaphors and enduring pillars as milestones, readers will cherish Leading with Conviction as a companion and guide to the well-lived life that is leadership."

—Rebecca S. Chopp, president, Swarthmore College

"Leading with Conviction is rich with suggestive ideas."

—Ronald Heifetz, author of Leadership Without Easy Answers, and cofounder, Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government

"Shalom Saar's insightful book will help both new and experienced leaders who want to become better. Using self-awareness as a tool, he leads the reader expertly along the never-ending journey of learning to make organizations great."

—Edmund F. "Ted'' Kelly, CEO (ret.) and chairman, Liberty Mutual Insurance

"I thought I had read everything I needed to read about leadership. But 'conviction' is the quintessential attribute of a transformative leader that so far has not been addressed. This timely book goes a long way toward illuminating how leaders can cultivate and apply the conviction that is essential to achieving their transformative vision."

—Robert H. Miles, president, Corporate Transformation Resources

"Leading with Conviction is filled with engaging stories and practical advice. It offers a leadership framework that is both useful and innovative."

—Amir Ziv, vice dean and professor of accounting, Columbia Business School

"Leading with Conviction combines western frameworks of management with the wisdom of the ancient Chinese writings of Sun Tzu and others. It is a must-read book for executives in China searching for a relevant and meaningful blend of West and East."

—Xiang Bing, dean of Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, Beijing, China

	A Note from Warren Bennis	xi
	Acknowledgments	xiii
	Introduction	xvii
1	The Pillar of Self	1
2	The Pillar of Balance	23
3	The Pillar of Agility	43
4	The Pillar of Change	67
5	The Pillar of Conflict	89
6	The Pillar of Creativity	113
7	The Pillar of Coaching	135
8	The Pillar of Collaboration	161
9	The Pillar of Results	187
10	The Journey Continues	211
	Notes	223
	About the Authors	233
	Index	235

Book on Leadership