Real leadership : helping people an organizations face their toughest challenges - WILLIAMS (San Francisco : Berret-Koehler Publishers, 2005)
Too many organizations today play follow-the-leader: the commander articulates a "vision" and people uncritically go along with it. But this type of leadership-what Dean Williams calls "counterfit leadership"-generates an unhealthy dependence on an authority figure and relies on dominance, control, and group seduction to get things done. The true task of a leader,Williams argues, is to get people to face the reality of any situation themselves and develop strategies to deal with problems or take advantage of opportunities. Real leaders don't dicate; they help people face their challenges and make adjustments in their values, habits, practices, and priorities to ensure the enterprise is given its best chance to succeed.
Keywords: Leadership