Yogi Berra said that leading is easy, the hard part is getting people to follow. Never were truer words spoken. As anybody who's ever been in a leadership position knows, eliciting cooperation from a group of people of any size--from a project team to an army--can be like trying to tap dance on quick sand. And while leadership definitely comes easier to some people, it isn't something you have to be born with. In fact, as the authors of this step-by-step guide to becoming a leader demonstrate, leaders are made, not born, and just about anybody can become an effective leader.

Whether you...