Preface -- Stalking the high impact leader -- Enter the presidents -- "It is the whole colony" : Jefferson and the Louisiana purchase -- "The best of us" : Lincoln and the Civil War -- "We can always depend on Mr. Wilson" : Wilson, the Senate, and the Treaty of Versailles -- "Crashed into ruins" : Chamberlain and appeasement -- "We shall never surrender" : Churchill and the choice to fight -- Beyond politics -- The royal navy, business, and non-normal science -- The tragedy and potential triumph of leadership -- Notes -- Index.

Will your next leader be insignificant—or indispensable?

The importance of leadership and the impact of individual leaders has long been the subject of debate. Are they made by history, or do they make it?

In Indispensable, Harvard Business School professor Gautam Mukunda offers an enticingly fresh look at how and when individual leaders really can make a difference. By identifying and analyzing the hidden patterns of their careers, and by exploring the systems that place these leaders in positions of power, Indispensable sheds new light on how we may be able to identify the best leaders and what lessons we can learn, from both the process and the result.

Profiling a mix of historic and modern figures—from Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln to Winston Churchill and Judah Folkman—and telling the stories of how they came to power and how they made the most important decisions of their lives, Indispensable reveals how, when, and where a single individual in the right place at the right time can save or destroy the organization they lead, and even change the course of history.

Indispensable will also help you understand this new model so you can use it in your own life—whether you’re a citizen casting a ballot, an executive choosing your next CEO, or a leader trying to make your mark.