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
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