THE BOOK
The Second Edition of Where Leadership Begins opens the gate and guides readers to discover their remarkable leadership potential. Dan’s well-reasoned, informative insights will enrich those exploring leadership, novice team leads, and seasoned senior leaders across all business and industry types. Regardless of your sector or your current level in an organization, you will benefit from reading this book.
 
Too often, a person is promoted or offered a leadership role because they are outstanding individual contributors (ICs) (e.g., nurse, welder, financial advisor). Believing it's the only logical next step in their career, they accept the leadership role, sometimes without thinking things through. Once in leadership, they will often continue to do what made them successful as ICs.
 
But leading others is hard work and different from being an IC. Leaders need to choose to be leaders and do things differently. This requires five additional choices to maximize their potential and build effective teams. Consciously choosing to act, behave, think, and respond in ways that empower others rather than oneself makes it easier and much more fun.
 
If Choice Theory is new to you, or you’re unfamiliar with it, no worries; Author Dan Freschi unwraps it for you, explains how it differs from other leadership models, and describes the five vital -and ongoing- choices needed to establish genuine connections with your team members.
 
THE VALUES DISCOVERY CARDS
Values Discovery is a tool to explore and understand your values and how they relate to your choices. The deck contains 67 cards with values, brief definitions, and instructions for use. The cards may be sorted according to Value Always, Value Often, Value Sometimes, Value Rarely, Value Never. The Values Discovery deck is a versatile tool and may be used by a single individual, a coaching pair, small and large groups, teams, and families. While it can be used by itself, the Values Discovery deck is best used while reading Chapter 2 in the book Where Leadership Begins.
 
THE COMPANION JOURNAL
Use this to evaluate where leadership begins for you effectively. These pages are where you can sort through the activities in the book and appendices and reflect on the choices you’ve made to get you where you are today.
 
Use this journal to evaluate and reflect on:
The choices that are informed by a deep understanding of how you see yourself and how others see you.
The choices that are true to who you are as a leader and a person.
The choices that seek to elevate others instead of yourself.
The choices that pursue the best outcome, even if they open you up to doubt or ridicule.
The choices that are grounded in courage instead of fear.