"No matter how successful, thriving, or seemingly secure a business appears, there are no longer periods of calm seas for leaders in any industry," asserts bestselling author and executive assessment expert Justin Menkes in his new book BETTER UNDER PRESSURE. A psychologist and consultant at the influential search firm Spencer Stuart, Menkes set out to discover what it takes to successfully lead a company now that relentless pressure has become - and promises to remain - the new norm for businesses of all types. What kind of leader thrives in this environment, he wondered. And how can others develop those attributes?

Drawing on in-depth interviews with more than sixty CEOs at major companies as well as performance evaluations of two hundred chief executive candidates, Menkes determined that the best leaders share a universal characteristic - all of them strive constantly to maximize their own as well as their people's potential. The old concept of leaders simply inspiring their people, who in turn perform, is no longer valid in an ever-changing, fast-paced world. Menkes calls this a paradigm shift in our perception of the role of the leader. Today's great leaders are part of a fluid interaction between themselves and their people that maximizes potential and creates an environment that fosters business success.

Menkes emphasizes in BETTER UNDER PRESSURE that the idea of maximizing potential is not some vague, fuzzy notion. "My research turned up three essential capabilities that allow leaders in today's turbulent world not only to perform at their best, but also to get the best out of their people," he writes. These capabilities, or traits, include:

Realistic Optimism
People with this trait possess confidence without self-delusion or irrationality. These people pursue audacious goals, yet remain aware of the magnitude of the challenges confronting them and the difficulties that lie ahead.

Subservience To Purpose
People with this trait see their professional goal as so profound in importance that they measure their lives by how much they contribute to furthering that goal. Their remarkable dedication to their work is a direct result of their commitment to their goal.

Finding Order In Chaos
People with this ability find taking on multidimensional problems invigorating, and they make invaluable contributions by bringing clarity to the quandaries that baffle others.

Using examples from his own work assessing CEOs and CEO candidates as well as the personal stories of leaders such as Larry Bossidy, Andrea Jung, and A. G. Lafley, Menkes shows how these three characteristics function in real life situations. In addition, he provides an exclusive set of exercises that allows readers to evaluate and build their own skills as potential leaders. With its thought-provoking insights, hands-on tools, and break-through revelations, BETTER UNDER PRESSURE is the ideal guide for anyone running or hoping to run an organization in today's turbulent world.