Abraham Lincoln, at a truly critical moment in American history, presented to a troubled and divided nation a clear and commanding vision: that the United States of America was ‘a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.’
Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th 1809, in a one-room log [...]
One of the most difficult tasks that a leader may face is to change the engrained ‘mood’ of an organisation; its very culture. South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, who, after his release and his later election as president of a country that had voted for the first time on the basis of ‘one man one vote’, [...]
Zhou Enlai was Premier of the People’s Republic of China from the moment the Chinese Communist Party achieved power in 1949, following their defeat of the Nationalist government, until his death in 1976. A dedicated and lifelong communist, Zhou Enlai’s political instincts were moderate and progressive. Famous for his punishing work routine, intelligence and [...]
One of the defining aspects of leadership is courage: having the bravery not only to stand up and ask people to follow but also to put one’s head over the parapet. It is only in the military that this is a literal and life-threatening process; in modern business, it is merely career threatening. When Chief [...]
Taking the Offensive is one of the leadership and business skills that draws most heavily on comparison with military strategy. One of the greatest proponents of offensive strategy in recent military history, for example, was the American General, George S. Patton. Patton had fought in the First World War (in the new United States Tank [...]
Hannibal Barca was one of the great leaders of all time. Borrowing, to some extent, from the example of Alexander the Great—who had conquered most of the known world a century earlier—Hannibal used bold strategy and clever tactics to defeat the much larger forces of his Roman enemies. We will never know if Hannibal actually [...]
‘Changing the mood’ is one of the most challenging problems that a leader of any organisation can face. Successful organisations start off in life with enthusiasm and vigour, driven by the vision of the founders and the early management teams. Sadly, leadership and vision often fade over successive generations of management, and teams begin to [...]
The last cavalry charge
At the end of the nineteenth century, a young twenty-three year-old British cavalry officer serving with the 21st Lancers under the command of General Herbert Kitchener, found himself taking part in what is generally acknowledged to be the last significant charge made by British cavalry, against rebel forces in Sudan. The 400-strong [...]
This article first appeared in Hourglass magazine, issue 18, published by Croner Publishing in association with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. You will need to register to be able to access the PDF version of Hourglass issue 18
No template for a great leader
A study of the great leaders from history reveals many interesting things. Amongst others, it shows that we [...]
This article first appeared in The Guardian and can be seen at guardian.co.uk
The article is based on historical figures who feature in Jonathan’s book, History Lessons
History is filled with the achievements of great leaders, but what were they so good at, and how did they achieve the things that made them great? The short answer [...]
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