Everyone agrees that leadership matters. But what makes an effective leader? The answer to this simple question is elusive, but according to Ulrich, Smallwood, and Sweetman, there is actually a leadership code comprised of five rules. If you want to be a better leader or build more effective leadership in your organization, you need to master these five rules. In this chapter, the authors define the five rules of leadership and describe briefly how to make the leadership code real for you and your organization. This chapter is excerpted from "The Leadership Code: Five Rules to Lead By."