Six Paths to Leadership

Mark A. Clark, Ph.D., works with established and emerging business leaders to achieve high performance through teaching, research, and business consultancy. As Associate Professor and Management Department Chair in the Kogod School of Business at American University, he teaches courses on leadership, organizational change, teams, organizational behavior, and strategic human capital. His research similarly centers on leadership and team performance, investigating the effects of networks, design, culture, diversity, and human capital practices on knowledge processing and performance in a variety of applied contexts. Dr. Clark has published or presented over 100 scholarly papers and book chapters in top academic outlets internationally. His ability to translate research findings into practical execution has led him to consult with a wide range of private and public sector clients over the past 30 years, including in strategic planning, workforce analysis, program development, and team leadership training.Meredith Persily is a sought after leadership expert across the public and private sectors, supporting C-suite executives and elected members of Congress alike. She is CEO of Aspire@Work, an executive coaching and leadership consultancy based in Washington, DC and also an Adjunct Professor at American University’s School of Public Administration. Persily specializes in the leadership challenges of complex, global organizations including technology, healthcare, financial services, nonprofit and government. She is regularly called upon by her clients to support the onboarding of executives into new roles, helping them to effectively lead a multi-generational workforce, and drive organizational change. She has delivered leadership programs in 17 countries across five continents and in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Meredith is an honors graduate from Brown University and earned an MBA from University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is a Professional Certified Coach from the International Coach Federation.

“This book is filled with recommendations for actions, strategies, and approaches that readers can apply to their own circumstances, both in the main text and in an appendix and companion website. Clark and Persily make a solid case in favor of their six categories and demonstrate the practical applicability of their theoretical approach. An informative and useful look at different types of leadership experiences.” (Kirkus, kirkusreviews.com, June 15, 2021)“The six paths and their industry exemplars provide a fascinating perspective for those among us who observe casino leadership in action.” (asgam.com, September 6, 2021)“Six Paths to Leadership offers insights based on commonalities and differences across six successful paths to leadership. … This book gives a range of different scenarios and a wealth of real-life examples. Most readers will find help to which they can relate in their unique situation. … I found this book a useful resource, demonstrating a structure for understanding how to develop your leadership skills and approaches to the challenges you encounter when leading a business or organisation.” (Ian Garner, lancashiretimes.co.uk, July 10, 2021)“Six Paths to Leadership offers insights based on commonalities and differences across six successful paths to leadership. … This book gives a range of different scenarios and a wealth of real-life examples. Most readers will find help to which they can relate in their unique situation. … I found this book a useful resource, demonstrating a structure for understanding how to develop your leadership skills and approaches to the challenges you encounter when leading a business or organisation.” (Ian Garner, yorkshiretimes.co.uk, July 10, 2021)

• Chapter 1. How Your Path Influences Your Leadership.- Chapter 2. Creator: The Founder Path.- Chapter 3. Designated: The Family Legacy Path.- Chapter 4. Insider: The Promoted Path.- Chapter 5. Outsider: The External Hire Path.- Chapter 6. Representative: The Elected Path.- Chapter 7. Short-Timer: The Appointed Path.- Chapter 8: Gathering the Insights.