Book excerpt: The eight basic - but critical - lessons that everyone should know in order to lead others successfully. In any job, there will come a time when you are asked to lead other people. But while people are often well trained in the skill set of their particular profession, few people are ever taught how to lead. As such, those first steps into leadership can seem daunting – what do you actually do? How do you really lead? How do you build an effective team? And how do you lead colleagues who used to be your peers? How to Lead Others is the second book in the John Adair Masterclass Series, and it conveys the basics of leadership in a way that is concise, relevant and practical by breaking down leadership into eight simple lessons: · Defining the task; · Effective planning; · Briefing; · Controlling; · Motivating; · Organizing; · Evaluating; and · Leading by example. Aimed at those who, regardless of industry or business sector, are about take their first steps on the leadership path, or who are at an early stage in their career and realise that leadership responsibilities lie ahead of them, How to Lead Others is the essential handbook to one of the most important and challenging aspects of professional life.