Profits, Prophets, Coaches and Kings: (When) Do Leaders Make a Difference?

We often read history as the biographies of ‘great men’ who shaped the world.But are leaders, whichever field they are in, really that influential?Should CEOs be given large bonuses when a company performs well?Why, when a political leader is assassinated, is their successor as likely to improve as damage a country?When do we know if firing a coach has changed the fortunes of the team?World-renowned historian and bestselling author Jared Diamond argues that leaders are neither heroic exceptions nor products of circumstance.Looking at four difference spheres: history, business, sport and religion, Diamond asks under which conditions is a leader most likely to make a difference and why. Drawing on the life and career of iconic leaders - from Botswana president Seretse Khama to legendary UCLA football coach John Wooden - Diamond shows us how leadership effectiveness is determined by a range of complex interrelated factors, from resources to geography, culture to technology. Profits, Proph