This introduction provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book surveys the elite state of play in Britain. It argues that the Establishment, as it has been conceived, is coming to an end. The book looks at how elites, by trying to get ahead, have destabilised the very institutions on which their power is based. It looks at how leaders have adapted to get to the top. The book looks at the secrets and lies that underpin elite power and control. It shows that leadership has been transformed into a numbers game because numbers can be tallied up in a way that ideas can’t. The book focuses on exit strategies and how canny elites survive when it all goes wrong. It briefly explores what solutions there might be to the current problems of leadership.