How Extraordinary Leaders Are Made

The famed artist Michelangelo Buonarroti said, “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.” This observation seems especially relevant to leadership. The decisions a leader makes regarding their leadership behavior have a profound impact on their career, the performance of those reporting to them, and the performance of the organization they work for. While the vast majority of leaders began their careers with the target of being a good accountant, engineer, marketer, or analyst, few set their sights on being an extraordinary leader. This study explores five important insights we have gained after decades of work in leadership development. These insights can help every leader improve, and many become truly extraordinary.