"Since the dawn of time, relationships have played a role in the success or failure of leaders," says Smith, a thought-leader on organizational change and former Monitor partner. "But today they're absolutely critical. No longer can leaders in business, government, or nonprofits count on slow markets or sloppy competition to make up for the inefficiencies and divisiveness poor relationships create. This no-slack world puts relationships at the center of what leaders must understand and master in order to succeed. Yet we still know very little about how relationships work, change, or impact results."

In writing The Elephant in the Room, Smith set out to remedy that problem. Using stories based on two decades of clinical research and observational studies, Smith shows why some relationships drive growth, learning, and innovation in organizations, while others just as systematically stifle them.

"History is full of relationships that either catapult or torpedo the success of leaders and their enterprises. Think Steve Jobs and John Sculley at Apple in the 1980s, or Larry Summers and the faculty at Harvard, or Republicans and Democrats in Washington," says Smith. "Now think Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill during World War II, or Michael Eisner and Frank Wells at Disney, or Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger at Berkshire Hathaway. The key to success in each case was the importance these leaders attached to key relationships and the intelligence with which they handled them."

Leadership expert Warren Bennis calls The Elephant in the Room one of the most original and brilliant books he's read. CEOs and HR executives say it's required reading. "Pick this up," says CEO Nick Turkal of Aurora Health Care, "and you won't want to put it down."

By revealing the hidden patterns underlying all relationships, Smith gives leaders the tools they need to assess, strengthen, and transform those most critical to their success.

For more information, or to order a copy of The Elephant in the Room, click here. To follow Diana on Twitter, visit http://www.twitter.com/dianamcsmith.