A New Breed of Leader: 8 Leadership Qualities That Matter Most in the Real World

Sheila Murray Bethel, PhD

Bethel's area of expertise is leadership. She previously penned the bestselling Making a Difference: 12 Qualities That Make You a Leader (which begs the question: how come the “12 Qualities That Make You a Leader” have been whittled down to eight? What was it about the other four that got them booted?)

Anyway, the eight Bethel does highlight are certainly good attributes for any leader to have: Competence, Accountability, Openness, Language, Values, Perspective, Power and Humility (say, aren't those last two kind of at odds?)

She negotiates the discussion of each with stories and interviews with big-name leaders like Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Clinton Administration Health & Human Services Secretary (and current president of the University of Miami) Dr. Donna Shalala and golf legend Arnold Palmer (what a golfer has to do with leadership is something you have to read the book to find out…).

There are also quizzes to help readers assess their own leadership potential and even a 21st century “leadership puzzle” to show how the eight fit together to form the ideal modern leader.