Principles of leadership - Essay Example

Some is derived from brute force, some from moral leadership. The truth is that leadership values of the past can easily be transferred to the present and to the future. Furthermore, leadership principles in one field—for example, politics or the military—can be transferred to another field such as business. A useful book on this subject is called Power Ambition Glory by Steve Forbes and John Prevas. In it they discuss many ideas about leadership and its role throughout history. They talk about how it has changed and how it has remained the same.

In this book the authors describe the tactics and travails of a number of people such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Xenophon. These mens lives have lessons for us today but also in a way parallel the lives of some of the most significant business leaders of the 20th and 21st centuries. Business leaders and generals and political leaders all lead high stress lives. Many people depend on them for everything and their decisions have enormous impact. It is therefore very useful to understand what works and what doesnt.

The main thing is that leadership values have not changed much over the years and can generally be applied to almost any adventurous scenario. An adventure by nature is an endeavour that involves risk and the potential for great loss. In such situations you need a leader by your side to help take care of business. That is the same if you are crossing the Alps to attack Italy or if you are negotiation a big business deal which merge two very large multi-national companies. One of the best things about this book is how it covers so much ground so quickly.

It provides an excellent overview of a number of historical periods and places. This part was a very exciting read. I knew little about Xenophon for example and his style of leadership. That was a model which is not often written about. This general style is very important: so many