In successive chapters, Ulrich develops multiple dimensions of this leadership capital index, including leaders' personal abilities (their personal proficiency, strategic proficiency, execution proficiency, people proficiency, and leadership brand proficiency) and organizational leadership capabilities (cultural capability, talent management, performance accountability, information management systems, and work process).

The result is a ground breaking book that opens up a major new area of understanding and analysis of business and leadership. Everyone agrees that much of the success of any company depends on the quality of its leadership. Yet there is has been no rigorous, comprehensive way of rating leadership quality as it relates to company market value until now.