Inspiring Leadership - Learning from Great Leaders

Overview

Who are the great leaders in history and what have they got to teach us today about the nature and practice of leadership? A wide range of inspiring leaders, from Lao Tzu and Machiavelli, to Thatcher and Mandela.

This book is a unique approach to leadership by a writer internationally acknowledged as a major influence on leadership studies. There are Points to Ponder throughout the book, helping to draw out the lessons and concepts for the reader.

It features among others: Alexander the Great, Amundsen, Attila, Attlee, Bevan, Boudicca, Mike Brearley, Caesar, Churchill, de Gaulle, Einstein, Eisenhower, Elizabeth I, Gandhi, Sir Edmund Hillary, Ho Chih Min, Hsun-Tzu, Jefferson, Jesus, Jinnah, Kennedy, Lao Tzu, Lincoln, Machiavelli, Mandela, Montgomery, Mosley, Napoleon, Nehru, Nixon, Pericles, Plato, Reagan, F D Roosevelt, St Paul, Scott, Shackleton, Socrates, Washington, Wellington and Xenophon.

Content

Part One

• Leadership through knowledge
• Leadership skills
• The servant leader
• The ability to give direction
• Making the right decisions
• The art of inspiring while informing

Part Two

• The roots of British tradition
• The gentleman leader
• Nelson
• Polar explorers
• Leadership in a changing world

Part Three

• Charisma
• Women as leaders
• Styles of leadership
• Leaders for tomorrow

Reviews

‘Any of us who aspire to, and recognize the need for some form of leadership can only improve our performance by studying the past. John Adair’s latest book is a valuable addition to the thinking that has gone into the subject… I believe that it is a ‘must read’ book .. He is without doubt one of the foremost thinkers on the subject in the world.’

Sir John Harvey-Jones, leading industrialist and ex-CEO of ICI

‘I discovered once again how rare it is to come upon a book about leaders with depth, conceptual bite and historical context. It was a relief and a joy.’

Warren Bennis, major US management guru and writer