A top-down approach to leadership growth begins with a measurable, results-based definition of leadership success. The definition is based on the assumption that businesses exist to deliver economic returns of their owners, and as such, the true measure of leadership performance is sustained is sustained business results. This is a very defferent perspective from many of today's competency-based approaches that define success as competency assessment results. This results-based human capital approach makes leadership performance primary and views competencies as enablers of those results.