Too many organizations today play follow the leader: the commander articulates a “vision” and people uncritically go along with it. But this style of leadership is ultimately ineffective and even dangerous. It hampers people’s ability to anticipate and react to changing circumstances. And if the leader’s vision is flawed, the entire organization will suffer.

In Real Leadership, Dean Williams argues that the true task of the leader is to get people to face the reality of any situation themselves and develop strategies to deal with problems or take advantage of opportunities. Leaders who are responsible with their power and authority don’t dictate; they help people determine what shifts in their values, habits, practices and priorities will be needed to accommodate changing conditions and new demands.

William details how to apply this new approach to six different challenges that every organization faces. Throughout, he uses examples from his own experiences－working with organizations as diverse as the government of Singapore, Aetna life and Casualty, and the nomadic Penan tribe in Borneo－as well as historical examples and the insights gleaned from his many interviews with presidents, prime ministers, and business leaders to demonstrate the practical application of real leadership in the real world. At a time when so many “visionary” leaders have led their organizations to disaster, Real Leadership offers a needed, proven alternative.

Dean Williams is Lecturer in Public Policy at the Center for Public Leadership, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. At Harvard he created and directed the Superintendent’s Leadership Program for enhancing leadership capacity in large urban school districts. He has advised many organizations throughout the world, including Dunn and Bradstreet, The New York Times, Aetna, and McKinsey, as well as many governments.