But as Sharon Daloz Parks points out in Leadership Can Be Taught: A Bold Approach for a Complex World, this deep and abiding myth of leadership no longer works for most organizations, if it ever did. The book sets out to show that leadership can indeed be taught and how a class on leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government is doing exactly that.

The heart of the book is a look behind the scenes of a graduate class, PAL 101: Exercising Leadership: Mobilizing Group Resources, designed and taught by Ronald Heifetz. With a background in medicine and music, Heifetz contends that leadership, like music, can be taught. But like learning to play the violin, learning what the author calls “the art” of leadership requires listening and practice. As with music, talent helps, but a leader-in-training doesn’t need extraordinary gifts of charisma or heroism.

Parks takes us into Heifetz’s classroom, which is described at different points in the book as a “crucible,” “studio laboratory” and a “case-in-point.” Most of the students are in for a bit of a shock at first. Heifetz stands in front of the class, looks around and, for some time, says nothing. From that moment on, Heifetz—and the class—proceed to deconstruct deeply held notions of leadership and authority.

The classroom scenes are the best part of the book. The give-and-take between Heifetz and his students has a resonant Socratic quality to it. You can almost feel the electricity in the classroom during tense scenes.

Leadership Can Be Taught offers a wealth of insights and information for anyone who aspires to lead, or works in or with groups—which is most of us. But as this book shows, the process is not an easy one, for teacher, student or organization.