What the Heck Is Leadership?: The Art and Science of Helping Others Build Character (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798184217161)

Stop waiting for permission to lead!

Most of us have suffered under badly behaved managers, enduring micromanagement, navigating toxic "mindfields," and watching great ideas die at the bottlenecks of the traditional chain of command.

We've been sold a lie: that leadership is a title, a rank, or a corner office. Clinging to this outdated assumption limits your potential and leaves your team trapped in a cycle of cynicism and burnout.

What if leadership isn't a position you attain but a set of practices you choose?

In the fully revised second edition of What the Heck Is Leadership?, Gary A. DePaul, PhD, dismantles the top-down myths that hold organizations back. He clarifies the crucial distinction between management (a neutral tool for coordinating tasks) and leadership (the intentional practice of helping others mature mentally and morally).

You don't need formal authority to transform your workplace. You just need the right principles and a new way of being.

This isn't a book of abstract theories; it's a practical, creative guide for the 21st-century workplace. Inside, you'll discover how to:

• Break the Traps of Traditional Leadership: Stop equating power with leadership and learn why giving up control actually strengthens your team.
• Neutralize Workplace Toxicity: Identify and navigate adult bullying, pervasive cynicism, and high-conflict behaviors that quietly erode psychological safety.
• Harness the Compound Effect: Use small, incremental daily actions to build the invisible momentum that sustainably transforms your culture over time.
• Build True Community: Shift from isolated groups to collaborative networks united by a shared purpose.

Leadership isn't something you are; it's something you do. It's about being a lighthouse anchored in principles, guiding others through the storm and empowering others to perform at their best.

Author: Todd Cherches,Gary A. Depaul
ISBN-13: 9798184217161
Publisher: Independently Published
Language: English
Published: 07/29/2026
Pages: 230
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.89lbs
Size: 10.00h x 7.00w x 0.48d