I know a subset of my readers shy away from military history for lessons on leadership. War is ugly, awful. It’s also a crucible where leadership lessons are driven into the heart and mind because the costs of mistakes are high – West Point cadets are taught that when they fail, people die and nations fall.
With that in mind, I highly recommend the book Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine (Patreus and Roberts). Excellent historical descriptions. They helpfully frame the necessary leadership in this way:
First, understand the situation deeply, and choose the best strategy.
Second, communicate this strategy to every level of the organization, plus all stakeholders.
Third, relentlessly execute the strategy, with every lever available, all your resources and capabilities.
Fourth, refine your execution when it becomes necessary to do so.
That’s a scalable model, functional for small organizations and massive military operations.
Also worthwhile: Peter Robinson interviews Roberts.
