Real-Time Leadership by David Noble & Carol Kauffman Summary

Real-Time Leadership introduces the MOVE framework to help leaders navigate high-stakes challenges effectively. It focuses on being Mindfully Alert, generating Options, Validating perspectives, and Engaging stakeholders to make optimal decisions in real time. The book combines research and real-world examples to teach leaders how to slow down crises, avoid reflexive reactions, and align actions with strategic goals.

This book is ideal for CEOs, executives, and rising leaders facing high-pressure decisions, such as navigating organizational crises, career transitions, or strategic pivots. It’s particularly valuable for those seeking structured methods to balance short-term reactivity with long-term vision.

Yes, it offers actionable strategies for mastering critical leadership moments, backed by the authors’ decades of coaching experience. The MOVE framework provides a clear, adaptable approach to decision-making, making it essential for leaders in fast-paced, high-risk environments.

The MOVE framework includes:

• Mindfully Alert: Stay prepared by anticipating challenges.
• Options: Generate multiple solutions to avoid tunnel vision.
• Validate: Check biases using tools like the African proverb “Trust but verify.”
• Engage: Communicate effectively to drive change.

The book addresses the “triple play” of external demands, internal identity shifts, and interpersonal dynamics during role changes. It teaches leaders to recalibrate their mindset, manage stakeholder expectations, and avoid overreliance on outdated instincts.

Notable insights include:

• “When we face high-stakes challenges, we become exaggerated versions of ourselves.”
• “Real-Time Leadership is about making every moment count.”
  These emphasize self-awareness and intentionality during crises.

While The First 90 Days focuses on onboarding, Real-Time Leadership targets ongoing high-stakes decision-making. It extends leadership strategies beyond transitions to mastering continuous crucible moments, using the MOVE model for agility.

Some may find the framework overly structured for chaotic scenarios. However, the authors counter this by emphasizing flexibility, urging leaders to adapt MOVE’s principles contextually rather than rigidly.

With rapid technological shifts and global uncertainty, the book’s focus on real-time adaptability remains critical. Leaders apply MOVE to manage AI-driven disruptions, hybrid work challenges, and geopolitical risks.

David Noble founded View Advisors, coaching CEOs and athletes, while Carol Kauffman is a Harvard-affiliated leadership psychologist. Their combined expertise bridges academic rigor and practical executive challenges.

Yes. The principles apply to athletics, nonprofits, and public sectors—any context requiring rapid, high-stakes decisions. Examples include coaching teams through crises or managing community-led initiatives.

The book includes real leader case studies, self-assessment tools, and actionable checklists. The authors also offer coaching resources through their Real-Time Leadership Institute.