by Steve Forbes
First published 2009
Steve Forbes teams up with classics professor John Prevas to examine how ancient military and political leaders can teach modern business executives. The book focuses on six historical figures and their contemporary counterparts. Cyrus the Great built his empire through tolerance and inclusion, much like Jack Welch and John Chambers did in business. Xenophon sacrificed personal gain to lead Greeks out of danger in Persia, mirroring how Lou Gerstner and Anne Mulcahy rescued IBM and Xerox. Alexander conquered the eastern ancient world but was destroyed by his inability to handle success, like Dennis Kozlowski who ended up in prison. Hannibal crossed the Alps in winter to challenge Rome, showing the same innovative thinking that let Serge Brin and Larry Page challenge Microsoft and Yahoo with Google. Julius Caesar's ambition made him believe he was a god, paralleling Hank Greenberg's downfall at AIG. Augustus ruled Rome for forty years through humility and attention to detail, using approaches similar to Alfred Sloan at GM.
Genres: history, business, leadership, non-fiction
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Persia, Rome
Period: Ancient World, Modern Business
320 pages · Hardcover · Crown Business