In this remarkable book, Alistair Mant brings alive the two qualities-leadership and intelligence-which count most toward successful lives, enterprises and countries. Intelligent Leadership is an irresistibly perceptive journey. It is also a great read, full of inspirational stories of unexpected leaders, the shock of spectacular blunders, arresting metaphors and connections to make sense of them all, and a brimming sense of fun.

Mant gives us heroes as diverse as Imo, the little Japanese monkey whose like lies neglected in all of our societies, and Sir William Hudson of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. These are Australian leaders who have made sense of the unimaginable-the intelligence of youth, the female place in a male business world, global financial markets, even the export of high technology manufactures!

You'll understand why some such leaders succeed, and others are stifled by their own institutions. And you'll discover how to develop intelligent leadership in practice, while meeting the twin demands of operational competitiveness and human dignity.

Here is a book for its times.

To lead you need authority. That's got nothing to do with charisma, and everything to do with abilities. Authority is earned by showing judgement and by pursuing a worthwhile purpose. Judgement is the ability to make sound decisions when the answer isn't certain. That takes intelligence-not the logico-linguistic intelligence that our education systems are designed for, but a broad-band intelligence which understands the complex systems of our productive organisations and societies.