The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell (None)

What essential leadership lessons do we learn by distilling the actions and ideas of great military commanders such as George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Colin Powell? That is the fundamental question underlying The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell. The book illustrates that great leaders become great through conscious effort -- a commitment not only to develop vital skills but also to surmount personal shortcomings. Harry S. Laver, Jeffrey J. Matthews, and the other contributing authors identify nine core characteristics of highly effective leadership, such as integrity, determination, vision, and charisma, and nine significant figures in American military history whose careers embody those qualities. The Art of Command examines each figure's strengths and weaknesses and how those attributes affected their leadership abilities, offering a unique perspective of military leadership in American history. Laver and Matthews have assembled a list of contributors from military, academic, and professional circles, which allows the book to encompass diverse approaches to the study of leadership.

What essential leadership lessons do we learn by distilling the actions and ideas of great military commanders such as George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Colin Powell? That is the fundamental question underlying The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell. The book illustrates that great leaders become great through conscious effort—a commitment not only to develop vital skills but also to surmount personal shortcomings. Harry S. Laver, Jeffrey J. Matthews, and the other contributing authors identify nine core characteristics of highly effective leadership, such as integrity, determination, vision, and charisma, and nine significant figures in American military history whose careers embody those qualities. The Art of Command examines each figure's strengths and weaknesses and how those attributes affected their leadership abilities, offering a unique perspective of military leadership in American history. Laver and Matthews have assembled a list of contributors from military, academic, and professional circles, which allows the book to encompass diverse approaches to the study of leadership.

Foreword / Lt. Gen. Steven W. Boutelle -- Introduction: Leadership For War And Peace / Harry S. Laver And Jeffrey J. Matthews -- Integrity And Leadership: George Washington / Caroline Cox -- Determination And Leadership: Ulysses S. Grant / Harry S. Laver -- Institutional Leadership: George C. Marshall / Larry I. Bland -- Cross-cultural Leadership: Dwight D. Eisenhower / Kerry E. Irish -- Charismatic Leadership: Lewis B. Chesty Puller / Jon T. Hoffman -- Visionary Leadership: Henry H. Hap Arnold / François Le Roy And Drew Perkins -- Technology And Leadership: Hyman G. Rickover / Thomas L. Tim Foster -- Adaptive Leadership: Harold G. Hal Moore / H. R. Mcmaster -- Exemplary Followership: Colin L. Powell / Jeffrey J. Matthews. Edited By Harry S. Laver And Jeffrey J. Matthews. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [265]-267) And Index. In examining the art and science of American military leadership from the American Revolution to the Persian Gulf War, this book spotlights the complex dynamics of effective leadership. The authors probe the human and social factors that affect leadership development, as well as the education, experience, and mentoring that shape a leader's career