STEVE GARCIA is a Managing Partner at Contemporary Leadership Advisors. He helps clients build and lead faster, higher-impact, and more adaptive organizations in rapidly changing, complex environments. He has extensive experience as both an executive and executive educator.

DAN FISHER is a consulting psychologist and Co-founder of the Institute for Contemporary Leadership and a Managing Partner at Contemporary Leadership Advisors. He has significant experience coaching and advising executives and their teams.

Foreword xi
Dr. Marshall Goldsmith

Preface xv

1 Introduction: Making a Difference in Our Complex Times 1

2 It's Not About You 19
Trap to avoid: Leading through expertise rather than relationships

3 The Vulnerability Paradox 35
Trap to avoid: Projecting confidence at the expense of humility

4 Stop Strategizing and Start Doing 51
Trap to avoid: Separating strategizing from executing

5 Freeing Your People with Purpose- Driven Simple Rules 69
Trap to avoid: Talking about purpose without operationalizing it

6 Why Community Organizers Consistently Beat Superheroes 85
Trap to avoid: Saving the day instead of building teams that solve problems

7 Vive la Résistance! 101
Trap to avoid: Overcoming resistance to change rather than working with it

8 Resilience Beats Efficiency 117
Trap to avoid: Cutting costs to the point of becoming brittle

9 The Siren Song of Certainty 135
Trap to avoid: Seeking certainty at the expense of reality

10 Data- Driven Decisions Still Need a Driver 151
Trap to avoid: Replacing judgment with data

11 When Best Isn't Best 169
Trap to avoid: Assuming "best practices" are right for your situation

12 Conclusion: The End of Leadership in a Quantum Age 185

Notes 193

Acknowledgments 211

About the Authors 213

Index 215