Organisations rarely fail because they have no systems. They fail because they believe their systems are providing more control than they actually are.
The Illusion of Control examines the hidden gap between governance and operational reality: the space between what an organisation believes is happening and what is actually occurring where the work is performed.
Drawing on decades of experience across defence, maritime, offshore energy, construction, infrastructure and high consequence operations, Greg Rae challenges the assumption that policies, procedures, audits, risk registers and compliance systems automatically create effective control.
Through major incidents, real world lessons and practical analysis, the book explores how warning signs become normalised, assumptions remain unchallenged, operational conditions drift, critical barriers degrade and information can fail to reach the people with the authority to act.
The central question is simple: how does leadership know that the controls it relies upon are actually working?
The Illusion of Control is written for executives, directors, managers, safety and risk professionals, operational leaders and anyone responsible for governance and assurance in complex organisations.
This is not an argument for more paperwork or more compliance. It is an argument for better visibility.
Because the greatest risk may not be the hazard an organisation knows about. It may be the gap between what leadership believes is under control and what is actually happening.
