CHECK IT OUT

Whether you aspire to head a team or just want to know what it takes

to be a successful supervisor, there’s inspiration from coaches, scholars

and political analysts in new nonfiction about leadership.

Can CEOs take lessons from military leaders? They can and should,

advises retired military officer and corporate executive William A. Cohen

in “The New Art of the Leader.” In the updated edition of this management

classic, the former Air Force major general uses examples from Desert

Storm and Bosnia to show how the battlefield can be an effective model

for the boardroom. From the corporate world, he showcases the skills of

such talents as Steven Speilberg, Intel Chairman Andy Grove and Starbucks

CEO Howard Schultz.

Scholar Michael Ledan also uses military role models to reveal how the

end can still justify the means in “Machiavelli on Modern Leadership.”

With assessments of Bill Gates, Yasir Arafat, Colin Powell and other

modern-day leaders, he reveals how classic Renaissance precepts can work

in contemporary business, sports and politics.

Military models are archaic for our times, argues Larry Weber in “The

Provocateur: How a New Generation of Leaders are Building Communities,

Not Just Companies.” In his argument for cooperative management, the

founder of the world’s largest public relations firm contrasts bigwigs

who reject command-and-control tactics with those who follow what he

maintains are old-school battle plans.

Equally gentle is Dennis Romig’s approach in “Side by Side Leadership:

Achieving Outstanding Results Together.” In the spirit of Abe Lincoln and

Martin Luther King Jr., Romig offers tips for unlocking productivity and

morale by replacing top-down leadership with teams of knowledge-empowered

employees.

Leading is neither about being a dictator nor about people pleasing,

contends Rick Pitino in “Lead to Succeed.” Emphasizing personal

responsibility, self-discipline and humility, the Boston Celtics coach

uses real-life scenarios to illustrate crucial leadership traits. Of

interest to both aspiring leaders and hoops fans are vignettes that

convey how Pitino brought ornery, spotlight-hogging players into line

with tough-love management.

The leadership spotlight is on the American presidency in David

Gergen’s “Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to

Clinton.” Drawing on three decades of experience in the White House as

counsel to four presidents, the current editor-at-large for U.S. News and

World Report describes seven leadership qualities a great president must

have in this recently published work.

If you don’t have a seat for his appearance at the Newport Beach

Central Library on Feb. 22 and 23, you can meet Gergen Feb. 22 at Barnes

& Noble in Fashion Island (62 Fashion Island, Newport Beach), where he

will sign copies of his book from 2 to 4 p.m.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with

Steven Short. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by

accessing the catalog at o7 www.newportbeachlibrary.org. f7