The Essence of Leadership presents a model for successful leadership that is based on real leaders rather than abstract theory. Edwin A. Locke examines the styles and methods of corporate giants and distills their common characteristics and skills into a prototype for effective leadership that any aspiring corporate or organizational leader can follow. His model is based on four elements a leader possesses: motives and personal traits; knowlege, skills and ability; vision; and the capacity to realize that vision. Locke shows how his model works in the real world by applying it to David Garvin's study of sixteen Japanese and American manufacturers of air conditioners. From these real-life examples, Locke concludes that it is indeed leadership that makes or breaks the success of a company. General readers looking for practical guidelines to effective leadership will be especially interested in this book.