Great leaders have a great deal to teach those of us who aspire to leadership. But their lessons are as diverse and sometimes contradictory as the leaders themselves; we have to pick and choose among them, matching our own talents, temperament, and shortcomings with those of the models we aim to copy. Here are studies of six business titans of the recent past who offer a wide range of precepts for leadership: Warren Buffett, the most successful investor in history, who combines vast wealth with honesty, unfeigned modesty, and self-deprecating wit; Walt Disney, the great entertainer, who promoted family values but was also a tyrannical micro-manager; Thomas Alva Edison, the world's most prolific inventor, who gave us the phonograph, the incandescent light, the electric generator, and motion pictures; Katharine Graham, who earned world fame as the courageous publisher whose Washington Post led the fight to uncover the Watergate scandal that drove Richard Nixon from the White House; Steve Jobs, the Apple co-founder and genius who dazzled the world with the revolutionary iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad; and Ray Kroc, the late-blooming entrepreneur who built McDonald's into the world's biggest fast-food restaurant chain. No reader will follow all of their precepts, but all six offer vital lessons for anyone who wants to be a leader.

Warren Buffett is the most successful investor in history. From his humble beginnings in Depression-torn Nebraska, he became the world's richest man before he started giving his billions away. But his wealth and power is balanced by self-deprecating wit, folksy charm, a modest lifestyle, and a well-earned reputation for blunt honesty. In truth, Buffett is far more complex than he appears, and he owes his success equally to hard work and his exceptional ability to spot value that others overlook. But as this short-form book shows, Buffett's insights, principles, and precepts hold lessons that investors everywhere can profit from. As his story proves, getting rich in the stock market isn't easy--but it's far from impossible.

Early in the 2020 pandemic, author Steven Mason, seeking inspiration to help cope during the Covid-19 crisis, began to examine the lives of some of the great personalities from history. After considerable research, he discovered that many of these individuals had overcome significant adversity on their path to success. After sharing these stories with others, he was inspired to write this book. The Adversity Formula: Inspirational Lessons from History reviews the lives of thirty remarkable characters from history to see how they dealt with adversity. The book goes onto provide a formula that readers can themselves apply to their own lives. Selected mainly from the 20th Century, the fifteen men and fifteen women, include scientists, entrepreneurs, humanitarians, politicians, entertainers, sports stars and war heroes. The list contains well-known names like Stephen Hawking, Steve Jobs and Walt Disney but also features lesser-known profiles of Virginia Hall, Irena Sendler and Victor Frankl, a holocaust survivor who, after his experiences in the concentration camps, developed a therapy to find meaning and purpose in adversity. The book looks at the adversity these greats faced, what they achieved despite it, but also, how they dealt with adversity, often using it to their advantage. Their coping mechanisms are summarised in five characteristics for each individual and packaged into a general formula for tackling life’s problems. The conclusion found within these pages is that it is often how people respond to adversity, that can determine successful outcomes. The Adversity Formula: Inspirational Lessons from History will be particularly relevant to those interested in self-development, especially during difficult times, as well as those with a love of history. The book offers hope in the face of life’s major challenges.

Here, from Ric Merrifield, author of Rethink, are the inspiring stories of five men and women - Henry Ford, Reed Hastings, Alfred Sloan, Sam Walton, and Oprah Winfrey - and their practical, time-tested lessons for everyone who aims to lead.

This book - Will Peters's second volume of leadership lessons - puts the spotlight on six great political leaders whose lives offer endless lessons for people who aim to lead, whether they want to go into politics, start a business, or take over the local school board. Every leader is unique, and these six - Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher - each faced his or her own problems and found creative ways to deal with them. But they also shared qualities vital to any leader, and their stories will both inspire readers and teach practical ways to succeed and win loyalty.

What is it about McDonald's that has enabled it to produce more millionaires from within its ranks than any company in history? What earns the undying respect and loyalty of its franchisees, vendors, and 47 million customers served daily, from Moscow to Evansville to Rio de Janeiro? And how does it continue to expand its products, retool its image, and become more popular with each passing year? Few authors are as qualified to answer those questions as company insider Paul Facella. Beginning behind the counter at age 16, Paul literally grew up at McDonald's. From counter, to grill, to Regional Vice President, he has, over the course of his distinguished 34-year career, developed an intimate knowledge of the fast-food giant's management practices and culture. He's also forged personal ties to its legendary leaders, including founder Ray Kroc and CEOs Fred Turner, Mike Quinlan, Jack Greenberg, former President Ed Rensi, and current CEO Jim Skinner. Everything I Know Ab out Business I Learned at McDonald's delivers an up-close-and-personal look at a company where talent is cultivated and encouraged to thrive, from the individual restaurant to the corner office. With the help of in-depth interviews and “in their own words” commentaries from company executives, franchisees, and vendors, he explores McDonald's result-driven culture, and reveals the core principles, first laid down by founder Ray Kroc in 1955, that have successfully guided the company for more than five decades. Finally, Paul distills all that knowledge and experience into powerful lessons on teamwork, leadership, integrity, communication, and relationship building that you'll use to achieve stellar results in your company-whether your goal is to build an international business empire of your own, or just the best darned shop in town.

Fortune magazine proclaimed Jobs ‘the CEO of the decade’. Harvard Business Review called him ‘the world’s best-performing CEO’. And the Wall Street Journal praised him as a ‘Person of the Decade’. The longtime CEO of Apple, Inc., which he co-founded in 1976, Steve Jobs stepped down from that role in August 2011, bringing an end to one of the greatest, most transformative business careers in history. Over the years, Jobs has given countless interviews to the media, explaining what he calls ‘the vision thing’ — his unmatched ability to envision, and successfully bring to the marketplace, consumer products that people find simply irresistible. Drawn from more than three decades of media coverage — print, electronic, and online — this book serves up the best, most thought-provoking insights spoken by Steve Jobs: more than two hundred quotations that are essential reading for everyone who seeks innovative solutions applicable to their business, regardless of size. It’s the perfect gift or reference item for everyone interested in this icon.