Getty Images Hundreds of books, articles, and podcasts are published each year offering the answer to the question: How do I lead well? To really grasp the principles of effective leadership that will lead to results, one primary lesson that many of those books and podcasts won't teach comes down to one short sentence: Leadership is a heart matter. If the heart is not right, your leadership isn't going to be right. The heart of a leader has to be focused on serving others first. This will reveal the leader's true intent. It is not a heart motivated by self-interest, status, position, or power. It's a heart that is driven by service and the overarching life philosophy of "How many lives can I impact for the better?"