Founding Father on Leadership - Softcover

When America aspired to break free from Britain, the real-life David-and-Goliath situation required that a full-blown cadre of dynamic leaders arise immediately from the revolutionary populace. As history shows, it did. Now, Donald T. Phillips--writer, speaker, and mayor of Fairview, Texas--uses those events to suggest ways that today's businesspeople can likewise overcome tough odds and achieve success. Goal-setting, communication, and risk-taking, Phillips writes in The Founding Fathers on Leadership: Classic Teamwork in Changing Times, are just a few of the traits to be learned by studying Washington, Jefferson, and their colleagues.

Plumbing the depths of history for insight and inspiration is a common practice in management and leadership books, with varying success, as these two titles illustrate. Dunnigan, the author of over a dozen war-related books (e.g., Digital Soldiers, LJ 10/1/96), and software executive Masterson review the business practices and techniques of 12 famous military leaders?Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Charlemagne, Genghis Khan, Edward III, Gustavus Adolphus, Frederick the Great, Napoleon, Ulysses Grant, Douglas MacArthur, George Patton, and Norman Schwarzkopf. Chapters, arranged by leader, include a brief, all-too-casual biography of each, followed by the challenges they faced and the solutions they enacted. Opening and closing chapters try to put the techniques described into a modern perspective, but many of the solutions offered, such as the ruthlessness of Genghis Khan, should have no place in today's corporate culture. Phillips (Lincoln on Leadership, Warner, 1992) uses such Revolutionary War figures as Washington, Jefferson, Paine, Franklin, and John Adams to illuminate concepts of management. Unlike Dunnigan and Masterson, he organizes his chapters by theme, e.g., "Inspire the Masses," "Build Strong Alliances"?using these historical figures and their words where appropriate to illustrate a point. Phillips also provides a bibliography for further reading. While Dunnigan and Masterson's work is not recommended, academic and large public libraries should consider Phillips.?Michael R. Leach, Harvard Univ.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.