Ronald A. Heifetz is no stranger to leadership issues. Formerly a psychiatrist, he is now director of the Leadership Education Project at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He founded the Center for Public Leadership, of which he is the “King Hussein bin Talal Senior Lecturer” (“Harvard Kennedy School,” nd). Much of the leadership experience brought to bear in Leadership Without Easy Answers comes primarily from Heifetz's work in Washington, D.C., observing the political leadership structures of the entire nation. This gives him a unique perspective on leadership's view of the higher structures of the leader-follower relationship and the extent of the effects of the leader's actions and decisions. Heifetz uses this unique perspective as a strength in his book to explicitly discuss the role of leaders as agents of change, the preparation of followers to adapt, and the delicate balance required of leaders as they open up the path to an adaptation process. It highlights leaders' victories and failures in specific cases through case scenarios that provide a basis for studying the adaptive model. In Leadership Without Easy Answers, Heifetz focuses primarily on the duty of leaders to use problems and build the adaptive capacity of their followers (“Harvard Kennedy School,” n.d.). It addresses the crucial need for a new leader-follower relationship. In light of his many experiences in leader-follower relationships, Heifetz suggests an adaptive leadership action plan that breaks the mold of the traditional view of leadership. Heifetz carefully divides Leadership Without Easy Answers into four main sections. In Part 1, Setting the Frame, Heifetz introduces the core values ​​of leadership. I...... middle of paper ...... ability to tackle a continuous stream of difficult problems. It is not a matter of encouraging dependence but of counteracting the inappropriate dependence on authority that distress tends to produce in adaptive situations” (Heifetz, 1994, p. 247). The leadership prescriptions presented by Heifetz have clear applications for leaders. Heifetz acknowledges, however, that the task he has assigned to leaders may actually prove difficult to achieve. He states that “the most difficult and valuable task of leadership may be to advance goals and design strategy that promotes adaptive work” (Heifetz, 1994, p. 23). Works Cited Harvard Kennedy School - Ronald Heifetz. (nd). Retrieved May 13, 2010 from http://www.hks.harvard.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/ronald-heifetzHeifetz, R. (1994). Leadership without easy answers. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.