The act of absorbing complexity and uncertainty so that others can act with clarity and purpose -- less about inspiration, more about sense-making, choice-making, and boundary-setting.
Tensions
Rumelt says the leader acts on the organization (absorbs complexity, passes down simpler problems). Kleiner says the organization acts on the leader (leadership is getting others to confer legitimacy). Both are true but describe different phases: you earn legitimacy first, then use it to simplify and direct. Rumelt's warning that universal buy-in signals absence of real choice creates tension with collaborative leadership models.