This book offers critical insights and strategies for managing across six distinct paths into leadership positions: promoted, hired, elected, appointed, founded, and family legacy.

It illustrates lessons drawn from within and across paths, presented through themes, quotes, and stories drawn from interviews with over 60 successful leaders (executives, politicians, entrepreneurs, and more). While it is evident that these paths differ, those who study, hire, mentor, and coach leaders rarely consider the distinctions, nor suggest what may be learned across the paths.

Emerging leaders, HR professionals, researchers, and coaches will learn not only from those who have walked one particular path, but also from the experiences of those trekking in other directions. Most leaders will cross from one path to another over the course of their career. Some executives interviewed for the book worked their way up the ladder in one company, only to be recruited to fill a C-suite position in another company. Others were appointed to high-level government positions after stints as elected officials. The authors identify major distinctions when moving across the six paths.

By reading this book, leaders and those who support them will develop greater self-awareness about each path so they can better leverage and manage their new challenges and opportunities in their new leadership position.

Mark A. Clark, Ph.D., works with established and emerging business leaders to achieve high performance through teaching, research, and business consultancy. As Associate Professor and Management Department Chair in the Kogod School of Business at American University, he teaches courses on leadership, organizational change, teams, organizational behavior, and strategic human capital.

Meredith Persily Lamel is a sought after leadership expert across the public and private sectors, supporting C-suite executives and elected members of Congress alike. She is CEO of Aspire@Work, an executive coaching and leadership consultancy based in Washington, DC and also an Adjunct Professor at American University’s School of Public Administration.