From Publishers Weekly
Indian-born strategy adviser Bose sees Alexander the Great as a paragon of strategy and leadership for contemporary businesspersons. And apparently, he's not alone: Baz Luhrman, Norman Schwarzkopf, Oliver Stone and Ted Turner all agree the ruler was onto something. Bose here takes readers through the major events of Alexander's life, inserting observations and lessons relevant to business. The history sections-covering Alexander's birth and early education under Aristotle's tutelage to his death and the dissolution of his vast empire-are engaging, though far from comprehensive. While Bose doesn't purport to be a historian, he is a partner and chief marketing officer of an international management consultancy. Despite that, he does a poor job of pulling lessons from the empire builder's biography. For example, "The Art of Deceptive Strategy" describes how Alexander conquered a supposedly invincible band of Indian warriors in 328 B.C. by creating a phantom threat. Bose then describes how, in the 1980s, Ralston Purina created a phantom threat in the pet food industry. The parallel is obvious, but defeating an enemy is hardly the same as creating a market. Moreover, in his enthusiasm, Bose seems at times to be recommending Alexander's most brutal tactics as business strategies. The results can be unintentionally humorous. In a chapter on leadership styles, the historical tidbit "when [Alexander's] closest friend, Hephaistion, died of a fever in Ecbatana, Alexander had the physician treating him crucified" is followed immediately by "Alexander's trusting leadership style evoked fierce loyalty from those around him." Illus.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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From the Inside Flap
Alexander the Great endures as one of the most admired and emulated leaders in world history. In our time, his example of unprecedented and unparalleled success has inspired leaders of business and government, from media mogul Ted Turner (who keeps a bronze bust of Alexander in his office) to Desert Storm commander General Norman Schwarzkopf (who credits Alexander's tactical innovations for his dramatic flanking maneuver against the Iraqi army in the liberation of Kuwait).
In ALEXANDER THE GREAT'S ART OF STRATEGY, Partha Bose, one of the world's leading experts on business strategy, gives fresh insight into Alexander's leadership and legacy--and shows how you can use the secrets of his success to conquer today's challenges, as successful executives, politicians, and generals have.
Blending insights from his years of experience in the business world with his lifelong study of Alexander, Bose interweaves a gripping biography with compelling analyses of contemporary case studies of successful corporations that have applied Alexander's lessons to their business, including Dell, General Electric, Wal-Mart, and the Washington Post company. This is a provocative and invaluable audiobook for leaders everywhere.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
