if we accept that the leader's job, at it's to inspire and support the organization's collective responsibility to create a better future for the company, then what are the keys to effectiveness? what tools do leaders need at hand for this mission? what mental models must they have? i like to think of good leaders as comparable to skilled locomotive drivers. The train is controlled by a set of switches and levers. When the driver pulls one lever, the train goes forward; when he pulls another, it stops, and so on. When an organization is well aligned, all the managerial levers are easily and neatly moved. The function smoothly so that drives, passengers, and train gracefully move forward as one.