Become the leader people are proud to follow by opening yourself to the influences that develop character: Enduring relationships with friends, family, and God. Solidly based on Christian values, this practical, visionary, and hope-filled book guides readers through a step-by-step process for developing both personal character and the network of important relationships that enable character to win out, even in the face of setbacks, adversity, and temptations to take shortcuts. Leadership is about character, the authors assert, and character weaves values like integrity, honesty, and selfless service into the fabric of our lives, organizations, and cultures. The Ascent of a Leader is written for ordinary people-mothers, husbands, bosses, secretaries, pastors, teachers, and students who want to develop extraordinary character, find and follow God’s plan for their lives, and lead others where they need to go. We all have innate leadership potential. To maximize it, we must do much more than develop performance-based skills, the authors assert. We must consciously choose who and what we allow to influence us, find and develop our humility, and build enduring relationships with colleagues, family, friends, and God. They offer engaging real-life examples to show how we can grow into our true potential as leaders and inspire us to "make a difference in the 21st century-in our families, our communities, our companies, our government, and even our world."