History And Leadership

A comparison of nine leaders who led their nations through the greatest wars the world has ever seen and whose unique strengths—and weaknesses—shaped the course of human history, from the bestselling, award-winning author of Churchill, Napoleon, and The Last King of America “Has the enjoyable feel of a lively dinner table conversation with an opinionated guest.” —The New York Times Book Review Taking us from the French Revolution to the Cold War, Andrew Roberts presents a bracingly honest and deeply insightful look at nine major figures in modern history: Napoleon Bonaparte, Horatio Nelson, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, George C. Marshall, Charles de Gaulle, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Margaret Thatcher. Each of these leaders fundamentally shaped the outcome of the war in which their nation was embroiled. Is war leadership unique, or did these leaders have something in common, traits and techniques that transcend time and place and can be applied to the essential nature of conflict? Meticulously researched and compellingly written, Leadership in War presents readers with fresh, complex portraits of leaders who approached war with different tactics and weapons, but with the common goal of success in the face of battle. Both inspiring and cautionary, these portraits offer important lessons on leadership in times of struggle, unease, and discord. With his trademark verve and incisive observation, Roberts reveals the qualities that doom even the most promising leaders to failure, as well as the traits that lead to victory.

This book is a critical historical analysis of leadership thought in the Western tradition, examining Classical Greek, medieval and modern social scientific theories of leadership, focussing on the assumptions and effects which arise from these ways of understanding leadership and offering a new basis for leadership theory-building.

Leadership development aims to disrupt leaders’ behavioural and thought patterns. However, for many decades leadership development has not changed significantly: nobody seems to be disrupting the disrupters. It needs to evolve if leaders are to deal successfully with the disruptive challenges they face today – such as climate change, global health emergencies, digitization, an ageing workforce and the different expectations of millennials and Generation Z. This book reflects critically on the future of leadership development and what is missing in traditional approaches. It is based on interviews with leadership development suppliers, HR professionals and leaders, as well as the authors’ industry experience. This book provides practical recommendations for how leadership development needs to change to support leaders as they navigate a volatile and uncertain world.

Women and Leadership, edited by George R. Goethals and Crystal L. Hoyt of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, is a compact collection of thoughtful essays by experts on leadership theory as well as women’s history. Women and Leadership has been designed to help students and citizens who want a more nuanced explanation of what we know about women as leaders, and about how they have led in different fields, in different parts of the world, and in past centuries. It includes twenty biographies of women leaders in many different domains—not only politics but also education, fashion, sports, and social and environmental movements.

The naval leader has taken centre stage in traditional naval histories. However, while the historical narrative has been fairly consistent the development of various navies has been accompanied by assumptions, challenges and competing visions of the social characteristics of naval leaders and of their function. Whilst leadership has been a constant theme in historical studies, it has not been scrutinised as a phenomenon in its own right. This book examines the critical period in Europe between 1700 -1850, when political, economic and cultural shifts were bringing about a new understanding of the individual and of society. Bringing together context with a focus on naval leadership as a phenomenon is at the heart of this book, a unique collaborative venture between British, French and Spanish scholars. As globalisation develops in the twenty-first century the significance of navies looks set to increase. This volume of essays aims to place naval leadership in its historical context. An electronic version of this book is freely available, thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched. KU is a collaborative initiative designed to make high quality books Open Access for the public good. The Open Access ISBN for this book is 978-1-911534-76-1. More information about the initiative and details about KU’s Open Access programme can be found at www.knowledgeunlatched.org

The story of black emancipation is one of the most dramatic themes of American history, covering racism, murder, poverty and extreme heroism. Figures such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King are the demigods of the freedom movements, both film and household figures. This major text explores the African-American experience of the twentieth century with particular reference to six outstanding race leaders. Their philosophies and strategies for racial advancement are compared and set against the historical framework and constraints within which they functioned. The book also examines the 'grass roots' of black protest movements in America, paying particular attention to the major civil rights organizations as well as black separatist groups such as the Nation of Islam.

This title looks at some of the most renowned leaders, the most notorious leaders, and the most unlikely leaders. Taken from ten different sectors, including the military, politics, and industry, the book provides biographical information and gives a detailed examination of each individual.

Leaders and managers are rightly tasked to take their organizations and communities to a desired future. They are expected to be forward looking with compelling vision statements. As a result, they are often too busy in the present managing the future to be bothered with the past. Yet it is organizational histories that provide the contexts and clues for the future. History and Leadership: The Nature and Role of the Past in Navigating the Future demonstrates that intentional historical perspective-taking provides a sort-of wisdom for doing business in the present and future and equips leaders to leverage the past to help their organizations thrive. This book appeals to several audiences. It will serve as a supplementary text for undergraduate and graduate students in both the humanities and leadership studies. The book also appeals to practicing leaders and managers who wish to develop their emotional, cultural, and social intelligence by exploring perennial issues and lessons found in well-developed histories. This book also serves as a stand-alone read for a range of professionals who want a more recreational and non-traditional read on history and leadership. The book cultivates an appreciation for history and equips readers to be connoisseurs of history for the betterment of themselves and society.