This book offers a hopeful and deeply democratic message of enduring value: that we all are capable of great leadership in our own spheres of living, and that we can cultivate the habits and the practice of good leadership. At a time of increased volatility and complexity, where we share numerous challenges for which there are no simple answers, the message of this book is as timely as it is important.

The immense value of the content of the book is greatly enhanced by the aesthetics of the manner in which it is crafted. Written in an accessible and engaging language, in a style that evokes the use of parables to convey enduring wisdom, each short chapter offers a story from which Dr. Balu then extracts enduring principles, which are then explicitly synthesized.

I can imagine multiple uses for this book: as a resource to read alone, a short chapter at a time, over a long period; as a way to stimulate self-reflection and inner dialogues on purpose and responsibility; as input for conversation among friends or colleagues interested in discussing together the role of leadership in their lives and shared endeavors; or as a resource in formal classes on leadership at any level of education.

However you choose to use this book, it will cause you to ask whether you are leading as much as you could, in a world that desperately needs for each one of us to take responsibility and join hands with others in making the world better.