CHAPTER ONE
Don’t Kid Yourself
QUIET LEADERS ARE REALISTS. They try hard to see the world as it is. This means recognizing, almost as a sixth sense, that all sorts of things can happen and often do. And they happen because people act for all sorts of reasons, virtuous and vicious, clear and muddleheaded, sensible and nutty. Realism, in other words, isn’t pessimism or cynicism. It is making ample room for the many ways in which people and events can surprise, dismay, and astonish.
Sometimes things turn out worse than expected, and simplelooking problems turn out to be treacherous and complicated. This is why quiet leaders move carefully, put together contingency plans, and watch their backs. Sometimes things turn out much better than expected, ...
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