There is a palpable shift in today’s complex business ecosystem and it’s changing the way we negotiate the world of work. The global workforce is being redefined by an ever-evolving technological landscape, novel organizational dynamics, and the need to nimbly navigate socio-cultural barriers to connect meaningfully with colleagues located in different parts of the world.

Organizations everywhere are searching for smart ways to build and maintain their talent pipelines. This has signaled an increased focus on attracting and retaining high performance and high potential talent, increasing strategic, human capital development initiatives, and creating ethical cultures that thrive. By the same token, individuals across industries are equally eager to capture key skill sets to help them advance their careers and gain a competitive advantage. That said, the need to develop effective leaders with a sense of urgency is not only an important aspect of human resources management, but has now become a non-negotiable business imperative.

My book, Poised For Excellence: Fundamental Principles of Effective Leadership in the Boardroom and Beyond provides key insights on this global challenge-turned-opportunity and offers guidance on how to develop complex leadership skills using principles that address performance challenges that leaders at every level face. These insights are especially useful given the new demands of today's ever-evolving, cosmopolitan business environment.

The book directs leaders to take responsibility for their own growth not only through focused introspection but also by exploring disruptive paradigm shifts, embracing humility and the dignity of serving others, as well as by heeding fundamental calls to action. It presents leadership as a holistic process that elevates self-mastery as the focal point of achieving effectiveness. Since it also makes the case for leadership as an accessible skill set that transcends trait-based theories so commonly associated with it, the book has quickly become a compelling “go-to” professional development resource for leaders at every level and for organizations across industries.

Each chapter includes the following core components: 1) a robust, but succinct discussion introducing each principle; 2) key strategies providing straightforward guidance on how to master each principle; 3) a selection of thoughtful journal questions that allow for meaningful introspection, and finally, 4) a leadership challenge—a stretch goal—that brings each principle into immediate, scalable focus.   

Whether a seasoned or emerging leader, each reader will discover useful perspectives contained within each chapter designed to firmly orient their thinking and behavior towards leadership excellence. The book’s structure also challenges readers to do the necessary trench work required to develop competence and confidence across the panoply of leadership.

Understanding that change is an inevitable aspect of the workforce of the future, only the most effective leaders—those who answer the clarion call of excellence—will survive, adapt and thrive in its wake. We have seen the blueprint in leaders like Mary Barra, Melinda Gates, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Colin Powell, and Barack and Michelle Obama. It is their insatiable hunger for continued learning at a high-level, a willingness to be vulnerable and embrace risk to innovate and of course, serve with distinction—even in times of uncertainty—that has facilitated the evolution of their leadership excellence, in the boardroom and also beyond it. It is also what will facilitate yours.

After all, effective leadership is ultimately about pursuing excellence in service to yourself, as well as in service to others. When you approach leadership excellence in this way, it's pretty difficult to be anything but—poised for it.

Karima Mariama-Arthur is in-demand internationally as a conference speaker and consultant in the area of leadership development. She is the author of Poised for Excellence: Fundamental Principles of Effective Leadership in the Boardroom and Beyond and a regular contributor to various major media outlets, including Forbes, Success, Entrepreneur, Human Capital Institute and Black Enterprise.