The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do, Third Edition

In this new edition of their classic business fable, Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller get at the heart of what makes a leader successful. Newly promoted but struggling young executive Debbie Brewster asks her mentor the one question she desperately needs answered: “What is the secret of great leaders?” His reply—“great leaders serve”—flummoxes her, but over time he reveals the five fundamental ways that leaders succeed through service. Along the way she learns:

• Why great leaders seem preoccupied with the future
• How people on the team ultimately determine your success or failure
• What three arenas require continuous improvement
• Why true success in leadership has two essential components
• How to knowingly strengthen—or unwittingly destroy—leadership credibility

The tenth anniversary edition includes a leadership self-assessment so readers can measure to what extent they lead by serving and where they can improve. The authors also have added answers to the most frequently asked questions about how to apply the SERVE model in the real world.

As practical as it is uplifting, The Secret shares Blanchard’s and Miller’s wisdom about leadership in a form that anyone can easily understand and implement. This book will benefit not only those who read it but also the people who look to them for guidance and the organizations they serve.

About the Authors

Few people have impacted the day-to-day management of people and companies more than Ken Blanchard. A prominent, gregarious, sought-after author, speaker, and business consultant, Dr. Blanchard is universally characterized by his friends, colleagues, and clients as one of the most insightful, powerful, and compassionate people in the business world today.

From his phenomenal best-selling book, The One Minute Manager (coauthored with Spencer Johnson)—which has sold more than thirteen million copies and remains on best-seller lists—to the library of books coauthored with outstanding practitioners—Raving Fans, Gung Ho!, Leadership and the One Minute Manager, Whale Done!, and many others—Ken’s impact as a writer is extraordinary and far-reaching. Ken is the chief spiritual officer (CSO) of The Ken Blanchard Companies, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Dr. Marjorie Blanchard, founded in 1979 in San Diego, California. He is also a visiting lecturer at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he is a trustee emeritus of the board of trustees. Ken is the cofounder of Lead Like Jesus, an organization committed to helping people become servant leaders around the world.

Mark began writing about a decade ago when he was fortunate to team up with Ken Blanchard to write The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do. In 2011, he released The Secret of Teams, out-lining the key principles that enable some teams to outperform others. Great Leaders Grow: Becoming a Leader for Life came next in 2011. His latest book, The Heart of Leadership, was released in the fall of 2013. With more than 600,000 of his books in print, Mark has been surprised by the response and delighted to serve leaders through his writing.

In addition to writing, Mark loves speaking to leaders. Over the years, he has traveled extensively around the world teaching for numerous international organizations. His theme is always the same: encouraging and equipping leaders.

Mark also sells chicken. He started his Chick-fil-A career working as an hourly team member back in 1977. In 1978, he joined the corporate staff working in the warehouse and mailroom. Since then, he’s provided leadership for Corporate Communications, Field Operations, Quality and Customer Satisfaction, and Training and Development. Today he serves as the Vice President for Organizational Effectiveness. During his time with Chick-fil-A, annual sales have grown to over $5 billion, and the company now has more than 1,700 restaurants in 39 states and the District of Columbia.