Book description
What essential leadership lessons do we learn by distilling the actions
and ideas of great military commanders such as George Washington, Dwight
D. Eisenhower, and Colin Powell? That is the fundamental question
underlying The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George
Washington to Colin Powell. The book illustrates that great leaders
become great through conscious effort-a commitment not only to develop
vital skills but also to surmount personal shortcomings. Harry S. Laver,
Jeffrey J. Matthews, and the other contributing authors identify nine
core characteristics of highly effective leadership, such as integrity,
determination, vision, and charisma, and nine significant figures in
American military history whose careers embody those qualities. The Art
of Command examines each figure's strengths and weaknesses and how those
attributes affected their leadership abilities, offering a unique
perspective of military leadership in American history. Laver and
Matthews have assembled a list of contributors from military, academic,
and professional circles, which allows the book to encompass diverse
approaches to the study of leadership. Harry S. Laver is assistant
professor of history and political science at Southeastern Louisiana
University. He is the author of Citizens More Than Soldiers: The
Kentucky Militia and Society in the Early Republic. Jeffrey J. Matthews
is associate professor of business and leadership at the University of
Puget Sound. He is the author of Alanson B. Houghton: Ambassador of the
New Era.
