Based on the bestselling seminar by the American Management Association, this book gives readers practical advice on how to assess, train, and develop the characteristics associated with top leaders. Expert Donna Dennis provides a detailed overview of what leadership is and breaks down the most effective leadership styles, brands, and tools for success. In Preparing for Leadership, readers will learn how to: get noticed by looking and talking like leaders; become expert teambuilders, coaches, and communicators; gain and use power and influence positively; guard against the pitfalls of interorganizational politics; identify and build strategic alliances; elicit support; motivate others; and much more. Great leaders are not simply born with confidence, vision, and the ability to motivate others and elicit trust--and being a quality leader is certainly no easy task. With practical tools including assessments, tips, and checklists, this book shows readers how to inspire those around them--and take their organizations into the future.