John Adair is the business guru who invented Action Centred Leadership (ACL) in the 1970s, now one of the best known leadership models in the world. Organisations worldwide use it to develop their leadership capability and management skills. ACL is being successfully applied in engineering companies, retailers, local authorities, financial institutions and universities. The British army even base their training on it.
John’s company, Adair International, provides ACL development programmes, Accredited Trainer programmes and consultancy around the world, via regional partnerships with training providers in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and India.
John is the author of more than 40 books and numerous articles on history, leadership and management development.

Preface. PART ONE: GETTING YOUR ACT TOGETHER. Fifteen Greatest Ideas for Finding the Work You Love. Idea 1 On finding you role. Idea 2 Don't settle. Idea 3 Three useful indicators. Idea 4 How to find the right road. Idea 5 Capability. Idea 6 True Success. Idea 7 Success is result, not goal. Idea 8 Commitment. Idea 9 Setting aims and objectives. Idea 10 The Jacob's ladder model. Idea 11 A forward-looking attitude. Idea 12 Opportunity. Idea 13 Successes and failures. Idea 14 A shortcut to personal success. Idea 15 Don't expect an easy ride. Seven Greatest Ideas for Getting on with People. Idea 16 Be pleasant. Idea 17 Make others partners with you. Idea 18 Remember to say thank-you. Idea 19 Use yourself as a gauge. Idea 20 Share what you know. Idea 21 Be trustworthy in word. Idea 22 Show that you trust people. Eight Greatest Ideas for Success Qualities. Idea 23 Enthusiasm. Idea 24 Tenacity. Idea 25 Hard working. Idea 26 Generosity of spirit. Idea 27 Imagination. Idea 28 Courage. Idea 29 Integrity. Idea 30 Humility. Follow-up Test. PART TWO: USING YOUR TIME TO GOOD EFFECT. Six Greatest Ideas for Developing a Personal Sense of Time. Idea 31 Time used will is life. Idea 32 Setting your course. Idea 33 A sense of purpose. Idea 34 Sell to yourself on benefits. Idea 35 Making time to think. Idea 36 A sense of perspective. Seven Greatest Ideas for Major Time Savers. Idea 37 Learning to say no. Idea 38 Delegate, delegate, delegate. Idea 39 Always do what you say you will do. Idea 40 Avoid procrastinating. Idea 41 Don't waste time on the past. Idea 42 Don't make the same mistake twice. Idea 43 Cut your losses. Five Greatest Ideas for Principles and Planning. Idea 44 The skill of planning. Idea 45 The worst case scenario. Idea 46 The planning/implementation ratio. Idea 47 Setting objectives. Idea 48 Time for reflective thinking. Six Greatest Ideas for Effective Daily Work. Idea 49 Plan your day. Idea 50 Prioritize - no, really prioritize. Idea 51 The Pareto principle. Idea 52 How to control interruptions. Idea 53 Deal with your paperwork. Idea 54 Make use of committed time. Follow-up Test. PART THREE: Develop Your Leadership Skills. Four Greatest Ideas on Career Management. Idea 55 From specialist to business leader. Idea 56 Checklist: Are you a born leader yet? Idea 57 Can leadership be developed? Idea 58 Awareness, understanding, skill. Five Greatest Ideas for Understanding Groups and Organizations. Idea 59 Group personality and group needs. Idea 60 Task, team and individual. Idea 61 Three sets of needs. Idea 62 The three circles interact. Idea 63 Checklist: The Three Circles. Ten Greatest Ideas for Effective Leadership. Idea 64 The generic role of leader. Idea 65 Eight leadership functions. Idea 66 Sharing decisions. Idea 67 Fifty-fifty rule for motivation. Idea 68 Short course on leadership. Idea 69 The hallmarks of an excellent team. Idea 70 Leadership qualities. Idea 71 What you need to know. Idea 72 Levels of leadership. Idea 73 Exercise: Successful chief executives. Follow-up Test. PART FOUR: Sharpen Up Your Communication Skills. Seven Greatest Ideas for Better Communication. Idea 74 Communication Star model. Idea 75 How to use the Communication Star. Idea 76 Non-verbal communication. Idea 77 Six rules for effective public speaking. Idea 78 The art of listening. Idea 79 Accentuate the positives. Idea 80 Make best use of feedback. Six Greatest Ideas for Productive Meetings. Idea 81 Five types of meeting. Idea 82 Managing meetings. Idea 83 Be prepared. Idea 84 Six golden rules for chairmen. Idea 85 Always follow up with action points. Follow-up test. PART FIVE: EFFECTIVE THINKING SKILLS. Fifteen Greatest Ideas for Effective Thinking Skills. Idea 86 Know your mind. Idea 87 Clear thinking. Idea 88 Holistic thinking. Idea 89 Imaginative thinking. Idea 90 Checklist: How imaginative are you? Idea 91 Valuing. Idea 92 Your depth mind at work. Idea 93 Intuition. Idea 94 It does get easier. Idea 95 Evaluating your options. Idea 96 How to be more creative. Idea 97 The Nine-Dots test. Idea 98 Checklist: Are you thinking creatively? Idea 99 Useful originality. Idea 100 Developing your thinking skills. Follow-up Test. Appendix. The 25 Attributes of Top Leaders and Managers. Solution to the Nine Dots Test. About John Adair.