First published 2008
Harry S. Laver and Jeffrey J. Matthews examine American military leadership through the careers of nine commanders spanning from George Washington to Colin Powell. The authors identify nine core characteristics that define highly effective leadership: integrity, determination, vision, and charisma among them. Each chapter focuses on a specific figure whose career demonstrates these qualities while also revealing personal weaknesses and shortcomings. The book shows how great leaders develop through deliberate effort rather than natural talent alone. Contributors from military, academic, and professional backgrounds provide multiple perspectives on how these commanders' strengths and flaws shaped their leadership abilities. The analysis connects personal attributes directly to leadership outcomes, offering readers concrete examples of leadership principles in action across different eras of American military history.
Genres: history, 20th-century, american, leadership, biography-memoir, 21st-century, academic, american-history
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: leadership
Period: American Military History
294 pages · Hardcover · University Press of Kentucky