An instant national bestseller! Stanley McChrystal, the retired US Army general and bestselling author of Team of Teams, profiles thirteen of history’s great leaders, including Walt Disney, Coco Chanel, and Robert E. Lee, to show that leadership is not what you think it is—and never was. Stan McChrystal served for thirty-four years in the US Army, rising from a second lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division to a four-star general, in command of all American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. During those years he worked with countless leaders and pondered an ancient question: “What makes a leader great?” He came to realize that there is no simple answer. McChrystal profiles thirteen famous leaders from a wide range of eras and fields—from corporate CEOs to politicians and revolutionaries. He uses their stories to explore how leadership works in practice and to challenge the myths that complicate our thinking about this critical topic. With Plutarch’s Lives as his model, McChrystal looks at paired sets of leaders who followed unconventional paths to success. For instance. . . · Walt Disney and Coco Chanel built empires in very different ways. Both had public personas that sharply contrasted with how they lived in private. · Maximilien Robespierre helped shape the French Revolution in the eighteenth century; Abu Musab al-Zarqawi led the jihadist insurgency in Iraq in the twenty-first. We can draw surprising lessons from them about motivation and persuasion. · Both Boss Tweed in nineteenth-century New York and Margaret Thatcher in twentieth-century Britain followed unlikely roads to the top of powerful institutions. · Martin Luther and his future namesake Martin Luther King Jr., both local clergymen, emerged from modest backgrounds to lead world-changing movements. Finally, McChrystal explores how his former hero, General Robert E. Lee, could seemingly do everything right in his military career and yet lead the Confederate Army to a devastating defeat in the service of an immoral cause. Leaders will help you take stock of your own leadership, whether you’re part of a small team or responsible for an entire nation.
This book offers a practical guide for leaders at every level to make immediate transformations in culture, practice, and performance"--
Describes the hallmarks of effective leadership, and covers power, influence, vision, and strategies for change
This book, grounded in empirical investigations and philosophical insights into the study of leadership, is designed to help emerging leaders bridge the gap between 'new leader' and confident, respected difference maker.
Bolton, R. (1979). People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts. New York: Simon & Schuster. Buckingham, M., and D. Clifton (2001). Now, Discover Your Strengths. New York: The Free Press.
Gear-Shifting Leadership illustrates the model, tables, evaluation questionnaires, and simplified tools that will make the material in this book practical and applicable.
Leader, Know Thyself will help you understand who you are and who you can be–so you can bring all your power to bear in leading people through even the toughest challenges.
This is a timeless story filled with valuable knowledge that will serve you well, regardless of where you are on your leadership journey.
This book moved me; it will move you, too.” —MARK BRYAN, bestselling author of The Artist’s Way at Work "The authors of Three Commitments of Leadership have distilled the qualities of leadership into an inspiring essence.
This is a continuance on the principles of courage, trust, and serving others around you in a transformational way.
The Everyday Leader breaks down the 14 Marine Corps Leadership Traits, uses actual stories from real military leaders to bring these traits to life before defining and connecting them back to how they apply in the business world and to the ...