When I looked up the word “adapt” in the Cambridge Dictionary, I found the following: “to change so it functions better,” “modify so it can continue to exist,” and “adjust to suit to new conditions.” In a nutshell, adapting means embracing change in order to remain alive and relevant. For our adaptations to be successful, we must look at both our present and our past with boldness and candor. In them lie the answers to how we can survive and thrive in the future, because where we stand and what we are today are products of what we have been doing in the past, up to this present moment. Study what you have done and what you are doing now: the truth is all there. But understanding it requires us to be candid, open, and willing to learn and change. Once we analyze our own actions and desires, we will know with greater clarity what to do next—what to keep, what to let go of, and what to improve for our survival and advancement.
Based on my personal observations, I believe that for such adaptation to bear fruit, leadership must be exercised with the heart (in purpose and discipline), the head (in diagnosis and creativity), and the hands (in actions and problem-solving). Effective leaders need compassion for others, the humility to learn, the insight necessary to create new solutions, and the boldness to take action and solve the challenges that face them.
My intention in this book is to share my ideas on what real leadership is and who the real leaders are. Whether you are in a position of authority now or are an aspiring leader of tomorrow, we share the same hope of helping to make our world a better place for all of us. In this book, I will share specific guidelines for achieving those hopes through effective action.
