Introduction: The Secret

Abstract

Why do so many organizations keep making the same leadership mistakes? This book aims to answer that question, based on the author’s ~50 years’ experience working around the world across a wide cross section of civilian organization in the private, public and not for profit sectors. This chapter introduces the key idea of the book, which is how to master an original 100 year old leadership in the 21st century . It explains how the first really large learning organization was built in the nineteenth century. This leadership advantage remained hidden from “the competition” for a good 100 years, which illustrates the power and importance of good leadership. It originated in a military context. Civilian organizations tend to have a false perception of how military leadership is developed and practised, being blind to its real qualities. This revolutionary form of leadership was first practised by the “competition” 120 years after its first successful introduction. This book will illustrate there are five key components (“5 Pillars”), which underpin this success story although they have not been previously revealed. Intriguingly one Pillar is invariably overlooked and consistently neglected in civilian organizations and its absence totally undermines their practice of leadership. Surprisingly its absence is rarely commented upon in the seemingly unending outpouring of books on “leadership”. The book explains what these 5 Pillars are and how they can be embedded in civilian organizations. In short it outlines what is required to replicate that 100 year old secret: the attainment of Mastery. The key concepts of (), that are an important thread running through this book affecting civilian organizations, are outlined briefly towards the end of the chapter. DMA is treated in more depth in Chap. 8 .

In evolution, nothing fails like success.

Arnold Toynbee

See Managing on the Edge by R. Pascale (1990, p. 15).