Broadly applicable, hard-won lessons on smart leadership and effective institutional reform from former secretary of defense and #1 bestselling author Robert M. Gates. From a first-time manager to a seasoned CEO, this book is for anyone interested in learning to lead better. Having led change successfully at three sprawling, monumental organizations-the CIA, Texas A&M University, and the Department of Defense-Robert M. Gates offers the ultimate insider's look at how leaders can transform large organizations and companies. For many Americans, bureaucracy and corporate structure are code words for inertia. Gates knows that it doesn't have to be that way. With stunning clarity, he shares how simple plans, faithfully executed, can cut through the mire of bureaucracy to reform organizational culture. And he shows that great leaders listen and respond to their teams and embrace the power of compromise. Using the full weight of his wisdom, candor, and devotion to duty, he empowers leaders at any level to effectively implement his leadership strategies.