Overview
Nigel Nicholson explains the emergence of leaders in different epochs and cultures.\xa0 His approach is rooted in evolutionary science and the latest thinking about how cultures and leadership co-evolve over time and place.\xa0 The essence of leadership is the successful crafting of an identity that merges the leader and the surrounding culture or zeitgeist.\xa0 The I of leadership is this merger of individual and culture. Sixteen chapters present different sets of stories and challenges and illustrate how different leaders in all walks of life, have responded to critical turning points. The chapters are peppered with stories and examples from the lives of leaders, from the sports stadium to the office of the CEO. \xa0 The strategic challenge of leadership is to find the right balance between impact and versatility: shaping the world around you to fit your purposes, almost like surfing the wave of culture. A key element in this process is self-discovery -how leaders learn about their capability through experience.\xa0 Leaders fail through lack of insight - into themselves and into the worlds they inhabit.
