Dr. Barrett was interviewed by an independent third-party about his new book, Real-Leadership in Real-Time: How to Lead with High Skill at High Speed. In it, he shares the thoughts, ideas, experiences, concerns, and collective wisdom that fueled his writing and the main hopes he has for each reader. Can you define "leadership" in seven words? Dr. Barrett can - read on!

Dr. Barrett, thank you for sitting down and answering these questions. Our intention is to get a behind-the-scenes look at why you wrote this book and the main thoughts and direction you hope to offer your reader.

First, who should read this book?

Naturally I would like to suggest everyone and anyone. Admittedly part of that answer is selfish. But there is a practical component to my answer. Life requires that all of us obtain leadership insights and develop leadership skills. Those who do see their sphere of influence increase. Those who don't see theirs decrease.

More specifically, this book is ideally suited for three distinct groups. The first is those men and women who are currently in positions of top-level senior management. The second group is those who are not in CXO positions but none-the-less have significant leadership and management responsibilities. The third group is those who want to learn the essence of effective leadership. This includes those who want to apply leadership insights in a variety of settings such as politics, the military, running a small or medium sized business, or at home. So I guess that brings us back to my initial response, I suggest that everyone and anyone read this book.

Your point is well taken that most everyone is required to be a leader in some capacity, especially those in charge of the businesses that drive our country. So we have a soundbite in our head, can you give us your most succinct definition of leadership?

That's a fair question. I am frequently amused with people who try to teach on the subject of leadership without ever defining it. A friend recently told me of sitting through a two-day seminar in his work at the Pentagon that dealt only with the topic of leadership. This brilliant engineer, with a Ph.D. in engineering from M.I.T., was incredulous that a definition of leadership was never given at any time in the two days of training.

In the book I give five definitions and seven descriptors of leadership. But if you want to know my most preferred and succinct definition of leadership, I can give it to you in seven words: Leadership is providing vision, skill, and motivation. My passion for this aspect of leadership is made clear by the fact that I dedicate an entire chapter to this definition. It is extremely powerful when leaders grasp the importance of providing vision, skill, and motivation and then learn to identify in real time which of these is needed by those whom they lead.

Dr. Barrett, you are pretty well known as a national speaker and your experience both in government and commercial business is impressive. But tell us specifically why do you feel you have something to share about leadership?

People often assume that my database of knowledge on the subject of leadership comes from three "E's": education, experience, and exposure. And let's face it, I ought to have something to say on this subject after earning two masters degrees and a Ph.D.; spending over 10,000 hours one-on-one with Senators and Congressman; running my own corporation for twenty years; and working with corporate leaders around the country.

But while I am genuinely grateful for the uniqueness of my experience in each of these areas, they are not the primary reason that I have something of value to say on the subject of leadership. If you look past all of my professional responsibilities and titles, I am something very simple at heart. First, I am an observer/analyst. Second, I am a teacher.

I have made a life-long study of leadership as an observer/analyst in the upper echelons of the corporate and political world. My books are nothing more than the coalescing of the insights and skills that I have been observing, modeling, and teaching for many years.

Incidentally, you might have heard about two different individuals. One had twenty years on the job with two years of experience. The other had two years on the job with twenty years of experience. I am the latter. I hope my readers are too.

Dr. Barrett, there are a lot of books out there about leadership and it's a topic of conversation in most companies. What's the biggest myth of what it takes to be a great leader?

Let me change the adjective "great" to "skilled". I believe truly great leadership leaves a positive and indelible fingerprint on human history that lasts for centuries. I also believe it is quite rare. (Although I have met many, many individuals who are certain that they are in this very small and elite group!) But let's face it, in the daily operation of most businesses, very skilled leadership is perfectly adequate.

There are several myths about leadership that circulate like urban legends. One of the most pervasive is that leaders are born not made. This myth suggests that leadership is singularly an innate quality and "either you've got it or you don't". It implies that if you have it you can't lose and, if you don't have it, you can't win. Countless times I have seen highly capable individuals erroneously believe that they are, by nature, precluded from being a player in the game of life. In turn, they hold back from releasing the full measure of their talent, passion, sagacity, and creativity. This is expensive to the individual, their place of employment, and the market place at large.

There are several other myths that I commonly observe. The first two make me want to chuckle and the last one makes me want to come out of my chair.

1. If someone has a significant leadership title/position then he/she must know a great deal about leadership.
2. If someone has made a great deal of money then he/she must know a great deal about leadership.
3. If an individual has excellent core competencies in his assigned area of responsibility, then his personal character and conduct are irrelevant.

Specifically, what attribute(s) do you hold most valuable in your leadership style that you share with your readers in this book?

If I were to give you only one leadership attribute that I pay attention to it is: "What do I fill a room with?" Let me briefly explain what I mean by this question. (In the book, chapter two deals exclusively with this attribute.) Do you remember Typhoid Mary, the asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever? She went around completely unaware of her impact on others as she transmitted a deadly air-borne virus. Similarly, I find this same phenomenon every day in the corporate world--individuals walking around who are clueless about the impact their behavior and attitudes are having on their environment.

As a leader, I want to be cognizant of the impact that my presence, position, personality, and power are having on those around me. I want my environmental impact to be healthy and helpful, not destructive and deadly. I want my leadership attributes to create an environment of positive expectancy, employee execution, a passion for excellence, and a love for winning as a team that translates into earnings.

What are the top three mistakes a great leader makes?

There are several leadership mistakes that I repeatedly observe across the entire spectrum of the corporate world. They are present in large Fortune 500 companies and in companies with only a handful of employees. Some of these include:

• Not identifying, and then responding, to trend lines soon enough. (Not only in the external market place but also internally among management and employees.)
• Not understanding what it means for a leader to be an "ACE". (Leading with the proper combination of authority, conviction, and enthusiasm.
• Not understanding the difference between "thug leadership" and "elegant leadership".
• Not knowing, or remembering, what leaders are actually paid to do.

The above mistakes may be common but they come at a high price. At the individual level they impact morale, motivation, execution, and excellence. At the corporate level they impact both productivity and profitability. When leaders learn how to avoid these mistakes there is an exponential increase in their success as leaders. There is a reason that I address all of these in Real Leadership in Real Time.

All leaders are human. How should leaders deal with the "b" word — baggage?

Oh yes, baggage or as you call it, the "b" word. The interesting thing about baggage is that all of us have some. It's part of the human equation. The only thing that varies is the type and amount of baggage that we have. Wise leaders know this and simply learn to be aware of their baggage and its impact on their leadership style. (They also know that being in a leadership position does not magically exempt them from this universal reality!)

When it comes to this normal human dynamic, I have several desires for leaders that I make clear in the book. First, I want them know: "It is okay to have a bad day. It is not okay to manage a bad day badly." Second, I want them to understand the challenge of every wise leader: To make certain that their personal development is keeping pace with their professional growth. (The leaders who make me most uneasy are those whose careers have outpaced the growth of their character.) Lastly, I desire for leaders to understand the profound difference between being a secure leader versus an insecure leader.

Dr. Barrett, there could be many reasons, but is there one or two main reasons leadership fails?

I believe there is room for many leadership styles. But there are three elements of leadership that must be present regardless of someone's personal leadership style. These are:

1. Core competence in one's assigned area of responsibility.
2. Good character.
3. Excellent communication skills.

The presence of these three qualities does not guarantee success as a leader. But the absence of any one of these in significant measure will guarantee failure.

Dr. Barrett, your answers have been fascinating and have given us much to think about and implement in our own leadership capacities. As a leader yourself, let's conclude with what you expect from yourself as a leader?

I will give you an answer that is easier said than done. My personal life goal is to consistently exhibit all of the leadership attributes that I discuss in Real Leadership in Real Time. Will I ever do all of these things perfectly? No. But my challenge as a leader is to remember that who I am and what I do makes difference in the lives of others. Like you, I am a person of power and influence. I want to wield that influence with elegance and skill. And also like you, I want to continue to laugh, love, and create revenue along the way. When I do these things for twenty-four hours it is called, "a good day". When I do them for many years it will be called, "a good life." My goal is the latter.