The book is a very practical exploration of leadership. The author draws on his extensive experience in a variety of senior roles to put the theory of leadership in an envelope of reality. Leadership is about people, about getting people to do what you want them to do, even when they might be inclined to do otherwise. It is about encouraging, convincing, exhorting, motivating and generally getting human beings to do something they would not have done without your intervention. Leadership is a process. It is not a set of characteristics, it is not charisma, it is not a position, it is not a role. It is a process-a process involving people. It is about those who lead and those who are led. It is about those who challenge and those who accept. It is also about helping people to achieve their goals as well, both as individuals and groups. Ashley Goldsworthy is in a unique position to write a book on Leadership. In a career spanning over 55 years he has been CEO of Australia's largest construction company; a retail bank; the Australian Computer Society; deputy to the CEO of a large insurance company; chairman of an international construction company; Director of Economic Statistics for the Australian Government; Dean of the Business School at Australia's first private university; one of Australia's first Professors of Leadership; Federal President of the Liberal Party of Australia; World President of the International Federation for Information Processing; director of one of Australia's largest casinos; founding chairman of a university Centre for International Research on Communication and Information Technologies; chairman/director of performing arts companies in ballet, theatre and circus; chairman of several companies ranging across human resources, accounting, financial services, healthcare, computer systems, and vocational education and training. He has degrees in accounting, business, public administration, science, and theology.