Book excerpt: Most individuals who move into leadership positions expe-rience the modern day version of trial by ordeal. It’s sink or swim. To reduce the learning curve and create a more effec-tive process, this book describes a road map for leadership development, a series of four stages that expand personal competence as well as create a broader impact on the orga-nization or business. Each stage requires unique changes in thinking, perspective taking, and behavior, both those needed to acquire as well as those needed to jettison. The book is a pragmatic approach for self-motived individuals to take con-trol of their professional development by giving them the concepts, tools, techniques, and assignments to develop their leadership effectiveness where it counts the most—on the job. While highly relevant to new and existing managers, the book is ideally suited for technical professionals and leaders in technical organizations looking to develop critical lead-ership skills distinct from technical expertise. The concepts and principles are directed toward the individual for on-the-job application, however, this also serves as an organi-zational and leadership development resource for Executive MBA programs, as well as a blueprint for in-house leadership development programs.