The 90-Degree Leader

The 90-Degree Leader
Competence in Personal Growth — Balancing Career and the Search for Meaning

by Magnus Larsson

Leadership starts with taking responsibility for one’s competence and development. The discipline and purification of purpose needed to take one beyond the pitiful state of survival and nurture the capacity to think and act beyond one’s self-interest make a persona capable of genuine leadership.

A person grows according to what he expects of himself. If he demands little, he will remain stagnant. To act without considering the purpose of the whole leaves him without a relationship with his essence. In general, people think that not putting the individual purpose first is to let oneself down. Yet, only after one has proven willing to take this step, will one find that one actually receives much more than one gave up: That one has given up nothing.

Conscientious people are the first to judge themselves. For them, self-promotion goes contrary to their values of living for the sake of others. When they find themselves lacking, they expect someone else to lead. There is a missed opportunity to hire, retain or promote highly competent individuals due to bias toward style against substance, which leads to mistaking strong leadership for self-centered dominance.

This book seeks to bring attention to the overlooked potential of highly competent individuals who may not display immediate confidence but possess the selflessness required for effective leadership. It applies several of the principles from the Divine Principle to solve actual problems in balancing the search for meaning with the pursuit of a career. Once conscientious people understand what makes a true leader, they will find the courage to step up to the challenge. The 90-Degree Leader is written from a rational approach, aiming to engage readers who may not necessarily have a foundation of faith.

136 pages
5.5 x .25 x  8.5 inches
6.1 oz