Lead Now!: A Personal Leadership Coaching Guide for Results-Driven Leaders

Master the art of leadership

Some are called on to lead. Others are driven to seek a leadership role. However you have come into your leadership position—whether you are just starting out, or have put in years of effort—one singular truth remains the same: the learning never ends.

In this revised and updated edition of the LEAD NOW! handbook, internationally recognized leadership coaches John Parker Stewart and Daniel Stewart provide busy leaders with hundreds of sparkling bits of insightful advice for continuous improvement. Based on the comprehensive LEAD NOW! Leadership Development Model, this invaluable resource arms you with an instant leadership development solution complete with actionable tips across twenty-one Leadership Dimensions, encompassing four areas of great leadership: Create Purpose, Deliver Excellence, Develop Self & Others, and Lead Change.

Drawing on the authors’ work with top-level leaders across a host of Fortune 500 organizations, small to mid-sized companies, government agencies, and start-ups; four decades of proprietary 360-degree and team assessments; and industry best practices and academic research, LEAD NOW! offers you a solid foundation upon which to build and refine your skills as you practice the art of being a leader in today’s changing environment.

Whether you are leading a coaching engagement, a workshop, or a larger leadership program, each new leadership responsibility requires new skills and mindsets to be successful. Leadership is a craft—a set of unique skills that require dedicated practice. It is a journey, not a destination. LEAD NOW! is the handbook for you, your team, and your organization for continued growth, results, and ongoing success.

John Parker Stewart is the founder and CEO of Stewart Leadership, which he started in 1980. He is globally recognized as a leadership coach, consultant, educator, speaker, and team performance specialist. Under his guidance, Stewart Leadership is recognized internationally for its feedback assessments, training tools, and solid, results-focused coaching services designed to guide teams and individuals to adapt, grow, and reach new levels of performance. John has coached and trained tens of thousands of leaders worldwide including CEOs, presidents, military, government, and business leaders resulting in significant, measured improvement in individual and team performance.John began his undergraduate studies at the University of Colorado, finished his bachelor's degree at Brigham Young University, and earned his master's degree in organizational communication where he wrote his thesis at Parliament in London. He began his doctoral work and teaching at Michigan State University, and continued doctoral studies under management guru Peter Drucker in executive performance and leadership at Claremont Graduate University. John started his career managing leadership and management development for 86,000 employees at Lockheed Corporation. He was selected "National Trainer of the Year" by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD). In addition to training and coaching all levels of management at Kennedy Space Center over an eight-year period during the high-pressure space shuttle program, John has worked with Citibank, Chevron, Lockheed Martin, Toshiba, CSL-Hong Kong, Xerox, GM, Kaiser Permanente, Telstra, US Department of Energy, Shell, and other government agencies and commercial firms. John has published several articles, manuals, workbooks, and the three-book award-winning Stewart Leadership Series. The first edition of his title book, Lead Now! A Personal Leadership Coaching Guide for Results-Driven Leaders, won the National Indie Excellence Award for the best leadership book published over the last five years. His 52 Leadership Lessons is also nationally recognized. John's latest book is titled Mastering the Art of Oral Presentations, published by John Wiley & Sons. This book is an essential tool for oral teams seeking to win government contracts, as well as a valuable guide for presenters in any field. John lives with his wife, Debra, near Portland, Oregon, and has four sons and sixteen grandchildren.

Daniel J. Stewart is a sought-after talent management and leadership development consultant and coach with proven experience advising senior leaders, leading change, and designing leadership-rich organizations. He leads Stewart Leadership's extensive consulting practice, business development, and international partnerships. Over the past twenty years, he has been an internal and external organizational development executive and consultant delivering talent and team development solutions, executive leadership coaching, group facilitation, change management, organizational design, and strategic planning for JetBlue Airways, Briggs & Stratton, Avaya, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lockheed Martin, The Weihs Group (venture capital), Kohl's department stores, and Aurora Health Care, among others. He is the co-author of Lead Now! A Personal Leadership Coaching Guide for Results-Driven Leaders, which was awarded first place by the National Indie Excellence Awards for best leadership book published over the last five years. He has also published articles in Executive Excellence, Practicing OD, Proposal Management, and HR.com. Daniel is originally from California and Oregon and lives near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his wife Katie, and their four children.