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The Three Levels of Leadership: How to Develop Your Leadership Presence, Knowhow and Skill
The Three Levels of Leadership
The first book to show you how to grow your leadership presence, knowhow and skill by concentrating first on your psychology. The shortest, clearest, most complete, practical self-help manual for leaders you’ll find.
What Readers Say
“A masterpiece.” John W.
“This may prove to be the definitive book on leadership”. Crispin S.
Who Is It For?
People who are serious about growing themselves as leaders.
Your Transformational Guide
Understand what leadership is and let go of the unhelpful beliefs increasing your stress. Grasp what leadership presence is and how to develop it in yourself. Plug the key gaps in your knowhow. Start enjoying the challenge of leading instead of enduring it.
What To Expect
Part One outlines the foundational ideas. Part Two explains how to grow yourself, whether you’re a CEO, department head or a team leader.
About the Author
An ex-CEO and experienced coach of leaders and their teams. Now a bestselling author.
Grow yourself. Transform your results
Visit James Scouller’s Leadership Mastery Suite website for tools supporting this book.
The first book to show you how to grow your leadership presence, knowhow and skill by concentrating first on your psychology. The shortest, clearest, most complete, practical self-help manual for leaders you’ll find.
What Readers Say
“A masterpiece.” John W.
“This may prove to be the definitive book on leadership”. Crispin S.
Who Is It For?
People who are serious about growing themselves as leaders.
Your Transformational Guide
Understand what leadership is and let go of the unhelpful beliefs increasing your stress. Grasp what leadership presence is and how to develop it in yourself. Plug the key gaps in your knowhow. Start enjoying the challenge of leading instead of enduring it.
What To Expect
Part One outlines the foundational ideas. Part Two explains how to grow yourself, whether you’re a CEO, department head or a team leader.
About the Author
An ex-CEO and experienced coach of leaders and their teams. Now a bestselling author.
Grow yourself. Transform your results
Visit James Scouller’s Leadership Mastery Suite website for tools supporting this book.
388 pages, Paperback
Published September 30, 2016
34 people are currently reading
445 people want to read
About the author
James Scouller
4 books11 followersJames Scouller is an executive coach, thought leader and author. His fascination with leadership has dominated his working life over the last 45 years. It’s been the golden thread connecting his four books. What sets his work apart? His focus on the previously ignored psychological challenges facing leaders and their teams.
His first book was The Three Levels of Leadership, a self-help manual for leaders. It offered readers groundbreaking models and tools for growing their presence, knowhow and skill. Launched into a crowded leadership book space with little promotional backing, it received five-star reviews around the world largely through word-of-mouth.
His new trilogy, How To Build Winning Teams Again And Again, came out in January 2024. James sees this as a companion series to “Three Levels”. It took him 15 years to research, test and write. Book one in the trilogy won the 2025 Independent Press Award (Business: General).
After living and working in different countries he led three international companies as CEO for 11 years before founding his executive coaching practice, The Scouller Partnership, in 2004. Today, when he’s not writing, he coaches leaders and their teams. He has two postgraduate coaching qualifications and trained in applied psychology for four years at the UK Institute of Psychosynthesis. He also holds a 4th Dan black belt in Aikido, a Japanese martial art.
His first book was The Three Levels of Leadership, a self-help manual for leaders. It offered readers groundbreaking models and tools for growing their presence, knowhow and skill. Launched into a crowded leadership book space with little promotional backing, it received five-star reviews around the world largely through word-of-mouth.
His new trilogy, How To Build Winning Teams Again And Again, came out in January 2024. James sees this as a companion series to “Three Levels”. It took him 15 years to research, test and write. Book one in the trilogy won the 2025 Independent Press Award (Business: General).
After living and working in different countries he led three international companies as CEO for 11 years before founding his executive coaching practice, The Scouller Partnership, in 2004. Today, when he’s not writing, he coaches leaders and their teams. He has two postgraduate coaching qualifications and trained in applied psychology for four years at the UK Institute of Psychosynthesis. He also holds a 4th Dan black belt in Aikido, a Japanese martial art.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 16, 2020
This book is my Nr.1 book to go to, when I need to answer tough questions in my life. It gives you guidance in changing your perspective about yourself. It lets you explore the inner workings of oneself and gives concrete tools to overcome obstacles in life. No unnecessary text or any rantings. Everything is written out clearly and thoroughly. A must read to anyone who wants needs guidance and concrete tools to help oneself succeed in life.
September 2, 2017
Comes across more as a meta-study than a lesson for use by management practitioners. Despite the author's pledge to cut the BS, the 300 pages(+60 of endnotes) is a very slow read, drags on because of repetition, and is difficult to relate to reality because of the near-complete paucity of real-world examples. I would NOT recommend this book to a new or aspiring manager, but instead to an expert, professor or management consultant who has already read the major books in the field and is looking for a new way to consolidate the existing theories. For most run of the mill managers (for whom managing is their job, not studying management) this book offers some value but not enough to be a first line pick.
Note for American audiences: the British English used here is understandable but occasionally distracting. I wish the publisher would have had an American editor work it over before sending it to the US.
Note for American audiences: the British English used here is understandable but occasionally distracting. I wish the publisher would have had an American editor work it over before sending it to the US.
February 18, 2019
Три уровня лидерства: публичный, 1-1 и частный (собственный)
Не обязан делать все сам. Нужно убедиться, что лидерство есть. Только его нельзя делегировать
Не обязан делать все сам. Нужно убедиться, что лидерство есть. Только его нельзя делегировать
May 19, 2013
At last we have a well-researched, deeply thought-out and clearly presented handbook for wise leadership. This book presents a robust model of leadership for the good, based on the concept of leadership presence, with self-mastery at its core.
Integrating and transcending previous, less accurate models of leadership, author James Scouller presents the innovative “Three Levels of Leadership” model. The three levels are: Public, Private, and Personal leadership. The first two outer levels may be familiar to students of leadership theory; however the third, inner level is the most influential yet often neglected leadership realm.
Leadership is defined, the essential responsibility of a leader is identified, four dimension of leadership are described, and tables identify 34 distinct public leadership behaviors and 14 private leadership behaviors. Self-assessment tools, available on-line, allow readers to determine those skills that are strengths and those areas that need the most improvement. Of course these can also be used to evaluate others who seek to lead you.
But improvement in personal leadership—increasing that often elusive quality of leadership presence—provides the greatest opportunity. We learn that leadership presence has these seven qualities:
1. Personal Power—Accepting full responsibility for what you do
2. High, real self-esteem—based on an accurate assessment of your competencies
3. Drive to do more, to grow—striving to improve and contribute toward the good
4. Balance—integration of your purpose with respect for the free will of others
5. Intuition—creative insight and foresight distilled from your grasp of complexity
6. In the now—paying full attention to current issues
7. Inner peace of mind and fulfillment—joy and a state of psychological flow
Together these create a wholeness based on an authentic understating of your true self. Genuine leadership presence contrasts with charisma, the more familiar yet superficial behavior often cited as a leadership characteristic. People sense the difference, respond with trust, and become inspired by your leadership presence.
While the first half of the book is a well presented leadership guide—surveying, augmenting, and integrating existing leadership advice and theory—the second half of the book breaks new ground that can unleash true leadership potential.
Personal leadership requires developing skills in three areas:
1. Technical knowledge and skills includes knowing details of the particular business you are in, along with general skills in individual psychology, group psychology, and time management.
2. A positive attitude toward others is the belief that other people are as important as you. If you want to excel as a leader you must serve those you lead without harming others
3. Self-mastery is a commitment to self-awareness, self-integration, growth, and flexible command of your psyche.
The book introduces a new model of human psyche. This model is combined with principles of personal change that assist readers in overcoming resistance when making the personal transformations required to increase self-mastery and become a wiser leader.
Several tools for developing self-mastery are provided in the form of mental exercises to be repeated daily over periods of months or years. These include the three core techniques of: disidentification and centering, mindfulness meditation, and self-enquiry, supplemented by three techniques of: mental rehearsal and affirmation, knowing your values, and developing a personal mission-vision statement.
Use these exercises to deliberately discover your true self—who you truly are—identify and dismiss unconscious limiting beliefs, and get on with the work of leading wisely.
The richness of this book does justice to the complex topic of leadership, yet the book is well-written, accessible, and easy to understand and apply. Each chapter ends with a summary of key points, several helpful tables throughout the book assemble, list, and summarize essential skills, and a companion web site provides supplementary aids to help readers master the materials.
Study this book, complete the exercises, and transform your leadership skills.
Integrating and transcending previous, less accurate models of leadership, author James Scouller presents the innovative “Three Levels of Leadership” model. The three levels are: Public, Private, and Personal leadership. The first two outer levels may be familiar to students of leadership theory; however the third, inner level is the most influential yet often neglected leadership realm.
Leadership is defined, the essential responsibility of a leader is identified, four dimension of leadership are described, and tables identify 34 distinct public leadership behaviors and 14 private leadership behaviors. Self-assessment tools, available on-line, allow readers to determine those skills that are strengths and those areas that need the most improvement. Of course these can also be used to evaluate others who seek to lead you.
But improvement in personal leadership—increasing that often elusive quality of leadership presence—provides the greatest opportunity. We learn that leadership presence has these seven qualities:
1. Personal Power—Accepting full responsibility for what you do
2. High, real self-esteem—based on an accurate assessment of your competencies
3. Drive to do more, to grow—striving to improve and contribute toward the good
4. Balance—integration of your purpose with respect for the free will of others
5. Intuition—creative insight and foresight distilled from your grasp of complexity
6. In the now—paying full attention to current issues
7. Inner peace of mind and fulfillment—joy and a state of psychological flow
Together these create a wholeness based on an authentic understating of your true self. Genuine leadership presence contrasts with charisma, the more familiar yet superficial behavior often cited as a leadership characteristic. People sense the difference, respond with trust, and become inspired by your leadership presence.
While the first half of the book is a well presented leadership guide—surveying, augmenting, and integrating existing leadership advice and theory—the second half of the book breaks new ground that can unleash true leadership potential.
Personal leadership requires developing skills in three areas:
1. Technical knowledge and skills includes knowing details of the particular business you are in, along with general skills in individual psychology, group psychology, and time management.
2. A positive attitude toward others is the belief that other people are as important as you. If you want to excel as a leader you must serve those you lead without harming others
3. Self-mastery is a commitment to self-awareness, self-integration, growth, and flexible command of your psyche.
The book introduces a new model of human psyche. This model is combined with principles of personal change that assist readers in overcoming resistance when making the personal transformations required to increase self-mastery and become a wiser leader.
Several tools for developing self-mastery are provided in the form of mental exercises to be repeated daily over periods of months or years. These include the three core techniques of: disidentification and centering, mindfulness meditation, and self-enquiry, supplemented by three techniques of: mental rehearsal and affirmation, knowing your values, and developing a personal mission-vision statement.
Use these exercises to deliberately discover your true self—who you truly are—identify and dismiss unconscious limiting beliefs, and get on with the work of leading wisely.
The richness of this book does justice to the complex topic of leadership, yet the book is well-written, accessible, and easy to understand and apply. Each chapter ends with a summary of key points, several helpful tables throughout the book assemble, list, and summarize essential skills, and a companion web site provides supplementary aids to help readers master the materials.
Study this book, complete the exercises, and transform your leadership skills.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews