3 Review(s)

The study of ancient events from a business perspective offers a unique way of observing how leadership actually works. The leaders presented and discussed in this book are significant figures in their own right. Many of the things they did were extremely successful, and the consequences of their failures were just as spectacular. These leaders decided on courses of action within the context of their times, aware of the range of possibilities that were open to them. This allows us to note how they responded in different contexts and how temperament, intelligence, experience and advice came into play as they dealt with pressing problems. The actual methods they used to implement their decisions are also instructive, since they illustrate a choice of approaches still faced by managers as leaders today. The authors show how these lessons are being used in today's organization’s and how readers can implement them in their everyday managerial roles. Each of the fourteen chapters addresses a key theme in leadership and each is structured in the same way: Historical setting of the leader and outline of the action taken Recent thinking on the leadership topic under review, with reference to the decisions taken by that leader A contemporary challenge, with cases drawn from organizational settings in both public and private sectors About the Author Arthur Cotterell is bestselling author of over 30 books, international speaker and Principal of Kingston College of Further Education, UK. He is currently writing a book on China for Random House and one on South East Asia for Blackwell's. Roger Lowe is Dean of Kingston's Faculty of Adult Education -- a designated centre of vocational excellence in management training and professional studies. His background is in management development in both private and public sectors, and he has written numerous training manuals. He is a Chartered Manager of the Chartered Management Institute, UK. Ian Shaw is Head of Training at Nestle Purina PetCare Europe. His focus is on organizational competence, driven through major change programs, competency based training, lifelong learning and inspiring leaders. He currently runs an Inspirational Leadership program across Europe for Nestle senior management.