In the most challenging economy of our lifetime, where should you turn for guidance?

To the stories of those who have made it—the leaders who battled adversity, forged their own paths,and succeeded . . . because they knew what made them tick.

As people everywhere confront the global economic crisis, “success” may seem elusive at best, impossible at worst. Yet history proves that a new generation of success stories will likely emerge from this era of financial chaos. And this new book prepares you to be one of those success stories by analyzing the inner qualities that have propelled the forward-thinking leaders of our time: drive, determination, and self-awareness.

As strategists for the internationally renowned consumer and political research firm Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, Michael Berland and Douglas Schoen are experts in how successful people think . . . and how they win. Now they share what they've learned with firsthand accounts from some of the world's most successful people in nearly every field—including the founder of Starwood Resorts; a world-famous chef-restaurateur; the CEO of NBC Universal; a supermodel turned entrepreneur; the head of Estée Lauder; the commissioner of the National Hockey League; the president of Hearst Magazines; and the creator of CBS's 60 Minutes. Berland and Schoen have discovered that true success is about more than “winning.” True success has an emotional quotient: it's about determining your innate strengths, deciding what you truly want, and striving tirelessly to achieve it.

Berland and Schoen describe the five archteypes of success: visionaries, natural-born leaders, do-gooders, independence seekers, and independents who follow their dreams. In this unprecedented collection of stories from some of the most successful people in fashion, sports, entertainment, and business, Schoen and Berland demonstrate that success isn't about changing who you are; rather, it's about figuring out what makes you tick—and leveraging that knowledge to your advantage. This book shows through compelling first-person storytelling that the most successful people understand their own natural abilities and how to use their best qualities to create a fulfilling life—and then tells you how to do the same.

Michael J. Berland