“Though we cannot learn leadership, we can learn from leaders, which is why this volume is so engaging and valuable.”—Boston Globe What made FDR a more successful leader during the Depression crisis than Hoover? Why was Eisenhower more effective as supreme commander at war than he was as president? Who was Pauli Murray and why was she a pivotal figure in the civil rights movement? Find the answers to these questions and more in essays by great historians including Sean Wilentz, Alan Brinkley, Annette Gordon-Reed, Jean Strouse, Frances FitzGerald, and others. Entertaining and insightful individually, taken together the essays address the enduring ingredients of leadership, the focus of an introduction by Walter Isaacson.

A noted historian and the bestselling author of Elizabeth I, CEO has culled the mountains of biographies on history's greatest leaders, from ancient times to the present, to create an A-to-Z guide to power.

Many violent events in history occurred despite the best advice and the best intentions of political, religious and economic experts of the time. The words that often rang out were that a general war or global economic upheaval could not happen because capable leadership, sound business logic and forces of common sense would keep minds cool and temper the actions of even the most radical of regimes. Calamities of the past could not be repeated. Skillful leaders would avoid it. This thinking, for instance, was reflected in the editorials and mindsets of those who led the major nations of the world into a global abyss that would dwarf any other previous human tragedy. It was all about leadership. Leaders failed to learn from what took place in earlier periods. They believed they had little in common with challenges faced by others in another age. There was little the "sleeping giants" of history could teach them. Modern leaders felt the secrets of the Caesars, Napoleons and Lincolns as to how to lead had little relevance for today. Their lessons were buried with them. They were wrong. We have much to learn. If we do not, we will replicate history in all its tragedy and misery. People repeat the past. Leaders duplicate the errors of those who came before them, if they do not discover their secrets and lessons of leadership and apply them to their daily life. This work is about individuals who faced incredible tests. They demonstrated leadership and life skills as useful today as they were when confronted with the perils of wars, civil strife, natural disasters and economic and social upheavals.

Ten years ago, world-renowned professors W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne broke ground by introducing "blue ocean strategy," a new model for discovering uncontested markets that are ripe for growth. In this bound version of their bestselling Harvard Business Review classic article, they apply their concepts and tools to what is perhaps the greatest challenge of leadership: closing the gulf between the potential and the realized talent and energy of employees. Research indicates that this gulf is vast: According to Gallup, 70% of workers are disengaged from their jobs. If companies could find a way to convert them into engaged employees, the results could be transformative. The trouble is, managers lack a clear understanding of what changes they could make to bring out the best in everyone. In this article, Kim and Mauborgne offer a solution to that problem: a systematic approach to uncovering, at each level of the organization, which leadership acts and activities will inspire employees to give their all, and a process for getting managers throughout the company to start doing them. Blue ocean leadership works because the managers' "customers"--that is, the people managers oversee and report to--are involved in identifying what's effective and what isn't. Moreover, the approach doesn't require leaders to alter who they are, just to undertake a different set of tasks. And that kind of change is much easier to implement and track than changes to values and mind-sets. The Harvard Business Review Classics series offers you the opportunity to make seminal Harvard Business Review articles a part of your permanent management library. Each highly readable volume contains a groundbreaking idea that continues to shape best practices and inspire countless managers around the world--and will have a direct impact on you today and for years to come.

"'Diverse voices: profiles in leadership' features interviews with more than 40 multicultural corporate and PR agency executives who discuss the successes they've had, the obstacles they've overcome and the lessons they've learned along the way."--From page 4 of the cover.

Discover why purpose and passion is key in giving your organization a reason to believe in itself and it’s success. Internationally recognized speaker, executive coach, writer, and leader John Baldoni believes it’s up to those at the top to bring meaning to employees’ day-to-day work. In this encouraging guide, he’ll show you what it takes to build a company of committed employees from your current workforce--using nothing more than a toolkit of powerful leadership skills. Featuring illuminating stories, interviews, and profiles of leaders from a variety of fields, Lead with Purpose will help all leaders take their organizations to the next level. You’ll learn how to: instill your team with a sense of ownership; spotlight your organization’s mission; encourage resourcefulness and flexibility; harness creativity and the desire to succeed; transform a shared vision into real results; and develop the next generation of leaders. At successful organizations, people know what they do and why they do it. With these practical tips and applicable techniques, you’ll not only improve your leadership skills--you’ll bring a sense of purpose to your workplace that produces incredible outcomes.

The pioneers of the Dimensional Model for managerial behavior demonstrate how to master skills that boost productivity Robert Lefton and Victor Buzzotta, cofounders of Psychological Associates, have revolutionized managerial procedure with their Dimensional Model--a behavioral standard that has been adapted and imitated by companies all over the world. Leadership Through People Skills outlines this model, as the authors explain in detail how people skills work and provide exercises designed to improve them. They also offer strategies for using these skills in the right situations, at the right times, in the right ways with direct reports, peers, and bosses. Managers will learn how to improve their: Sizing-up skills: interacting effectively through appropriate action Communication skills: strategies for finding out what others are thinking Motivational skills: giving people a compelling reason to do their best Adaptive skills: fitting actions to the people for whom they are intended