Structure

Lead From the Outside is divided into nine chapters, each tackling a distinct component of power and the challenges of becoming a minority leader. These chapters are preceded by a Preface, which was added after her gubernatorial campaign, and an Introduction, which provides her personal origin story and introduces the themes explored throughout the book. In the Introduction, Abrams describes her book as “the outsider’s version of The Art of War,” a self-help guide to provide aspiring minority leaders with the lessons and tools to take power and rise to positions of leadership (xvii). Accordingly, each chapter focuses on a specific aspect of leadership and power. For the most part, the chapters are organized in a hierarchical fashion, starting with the topic of embracing ambition and moving gradually on to topics of seizing on opportunities, strategizing actions and maintaining power. The progression of themes tends to...