Leading the Charge: Leadership Lessons from the Battlefield to the Boardroom [Hardcover]

Tony Zinni (Author), Tony Koltz (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 4, 2009

“What’s happened to our leaders and to our leadership?”
Based on General Zinni’s leadership experiences from the battlefield to the boardroom, Leading the Charge shows a new way through the significant leadership challenges of the 21st century.

The times are changing at an ever-increasing velocity. Old systems, organizations, and ways of operating no longer work in our dynamic, complex and increasingly unstable new environment. Out of this chaos and confusion, a new and different leader must emerge. Old systems and methods will no longer work.

Leading the Charge is a visionary leadership book that examines the trends that have reshaped our world and the ways in which visionary leaders and organizations can effectively respond. Tomorrow’s successful leaders—in all fields, including the military, academia, politics, and business—must know how to create, operate, and thrive in very fluid, flattened, and integrated structures that are remarkably different from the traditional organizations we are used to seeing. They will have to manage rapidly changing technology and flows of information, and create faster and more far-reaching spans of control.

Leading the Charge shows the way, and is an incisive and compelling guide to the new world of leadership, one that will prove indispensable for years to come.


Organized around “Leading a New World,” a revolutionary leadership course General Zinni developed and taught at the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University, Leading the Charge makes a convincing case that leaders must . . .
- change with the times to be relevant.
- be ready for crisis mode at any given time.
- have a moral compass and the ability to steer the company in the right direction.
- be forward thinking, not reactive, to provide innovation and creativity.
- develop great leaders.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Zinni, former special envoy to the Middle East, and Koltz (coauthors of The Battle for Peace) turn their focus to what they regard as a profound leadership crisis in America. Leaders—in politics, the military and business—have failed to evolve with the times, say the authors, who identify 11 core elements of new (and effective) managers, including developing a strong ethical sense and honing listening and decision-making skills. The authors dedicate entire chapters to each of these elements and explore what it takes to shepherd nations, companies and families in times of crisis as well as how to nurture and train future leaders. Zinni's principles of governance—applicable to parents as well as presidents—touches everything from the Spitzer scandal to U.S. policies in the Middle East and dispenses practical guidelines with particular relevance and resonance. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Gen. Anthony Zinni (Ret.) in drawing upon a lifetime of competition on the battlefield and in corporate boardrooms has issued a call to action to restore American leadership and greatness. This is a must read for anyone who is concerned about what has happened to our country." --William Cohen, former Secretary of Defense

 

"From one of America’s most respected and experienced military leaders and strategic thinkers comes a real, unvarnished, thorough examination of leadership.  General Zinni lays out not only lessons of leadership but the leadership that will be required for America’s future.  This book should be high on the list of important reading for our citizens, educators, leaders in every sphere of our society… and especially our next generation of leaders." --Senator Chuck Hagel

 

 "As only a true leader can, Tony Zinni goes straight to the root of our challenges today. For too long, leadership and its attendant qualities have been undervalued. Tony’s clear-eyed observations and advice on this topic come at a time when they are sorely needed and certainly from a person who well understands the necessary elements of leadership – vision, execution, and accountability. --Richard L. Armitage, former Deputy Secretary of State

 

Leading the Charge is a thoughtful and evocative lesson plan on leadership which is equally applicable to business leaders as well as military and political leaders. In today’s ‘briar patch’ complex environment where borders do not exist and politics, economics, and military and social issues intertwine, he has artfully detailed the strategy, tactics and logistics that are required for leaders to be successful. From ‘knowing the sea you swim in’ to the importance of balance to building a good organization, General Zinni methodically takes today’s and tomorrow’s leaders through a self reflective, inspiring exercise.” – Thomas J. Campbell, President, DC Capital Partners

 

"General Zinni lays out a comprehensive approach to leadership which is insightful and forward looking. He highlights key lessons which should be invaluable for professionals in all walks of life. He is a powerful role model and his philosophy reminds us of the critical difference that great leadership can make."--Robert Kaplan, Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School and former Vice Chairman, Goldman Sachs

 

 "Leading the Charge is an insightful, highly useful guide to meeting the challenges in today’s world. We highly recommend that readers put Leading the Charge on their 'must read-must buy' list and add it to their personal libraries. This former 4-star Marine general’s outstanding book is a ‘5-star’ guide to leadership -- we rate this book '5 STARS,' our highest rating." -- Col. Jerry D. Morelock (ret.), Armchair General

 

“Dispenses practical guidelines with particular relevance and resonance.”--Publishers Weekly

 

"This book makes it clear that General Zinni not only has absorbed good leadership traits from his multifaceted life, but also has studied it deeply. He has tried to share that deep understanding with others, in the Marines, in business and in academic settings. This may be the best of all examples of true leadership."--Semper Fi, the Magazine of the Marine Corps League

 

 

Praise for The Battle for Peace:
"A warning that deserves serious consideration."--The New York Times
"[Zinni] is a distinctly non-ideological man in an era when ideology is running rampant both home and abroad."--Michael Abramowitz, The Washington Post
"Zinni is one of the more interesting men produced by the American military, with a supple mind that quickly adjusted to the new realities brought about by the collapse of the Soviet empire."--Philip Caputo, New York Times Book Review
"The intellectual complement to Zinni and Clancy's bestselling Battle Ready...This volume provides the former Central Command chief's analysis of America's current global position...Zinni's pragmatic, low key approach merits serious condiseration."--Publishers Weekly
"Refreshingly contrarian, and perfectly commonsensical."--Kirkus Reviews
"[Zinni and Koltz] provide a clear analysis and plan for the future of America that challenges all--policy wonks, soldiers, and citizens alike--to rethink how we use our power to influence the global community."--Library Journal
"Provocative, insightful, and straight-from-the-shoulder blunt."--William S. Cohen, U.S. Secretary of Defense, 1997-2001
"Tony Zinni's writing is straightforward and to the point...a primer to guide us in the 21st century. Well done."--Richard L. Armitage, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, 2001-2005
"Sensible and deserve[s] wide support."--James Fallows, national correspondent of The Atlantic Monthly, author of National Defense.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1 edition (August 4, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0230612652
• ISBN-13: 978-0230612655
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.8 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #739,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn from a true master of the craft May 14, 2009

By Damodar Chetty TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This is one of those rare books - easy to read, yet with a meaty message. And, boy, what a message!

Today, our news is headlined by the loss of homes and jobs, the careening shifts in the price of oil, the collapsing of iconic companies, the ever increasing threat of terrorism (are we still at Orange?), etc.

And, the world as a whole seems to be waiting with bated breath for a messiah to lead us through this dark patch of history.

The really cool part of this book, is that it exhorts you to be that messiah. And, believe me, after reading this book, I *wanted* to be that messiah!

The book is divided into two logical parts.
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The first part (ch. 1-3) sets the stage for the book by describing the global "epidemic of diseased leadership". At times this part is depressing, as it provides a litany of failed policies (our Iraq strategy), corrupted morals (steroid use in baseball), ham handed execution (our response to Katrina), and dereliction of a sacred duty (the crisis at Walter Reed).

However, don't skim this too quickly. The best definition of leadership is in chapter 1: "[Leaders] make sure that that the [..] organizations they run are headed in a good direction, and they leave them better off than they found them."
There is another gem in ch. 3: "Leadership today must fuse individual character, ability to lead, and the performance of the organization." In other words, the best indicator of a leader's performance is the performance of her team.
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In the second part he proposes the 11 core elements that leaders must have, in order to navigate the treacherous and ever changing shoals of today's world.

1.... Self Knowledge
Everything begins with the articulation of a few foundational core values (such as integrity, commitment, honor, and honesty) that define you as an ethical individual. This not only gives you a yardstick for testing your decisions, but also gives you early warning when your values are at risk of being compromised.

2. Ethics
A leader is responsible for defining the ethical code for his organization. An ethical organization is rewarded with happy employees and admiring customers.

3. The Led
Here we discover that a true leader is one who cares about his people, considers them to be family, and "has a genuine interest in their well being". We also note that a leader's true effectiveness must be evaluated by his superiors as well as by those he leads.

4. Environment
A good leader must be intimately familiar with the business environment: his products, customers, competitors, suppliers, regulatory agencies, etc. Leaders should get out of their oak paneled corner offices and actually talk to these stakeholders.

5. The Enterprise
A leader cannot lead an organization that he doesn't understand - in terms of its structure, processes, and systems. This gives him a unique perspective when it comes time to assess how a change in one place, might have unforeseen consequences in a completely different part of the organization.

6. Speed
He suggests that leaders jealously guard their "creative time" - where they will do the bulk of their imaginative and strategic planning.

7. Knowledge
As he puts it, "a leader who is competent but not nice is better than a leader who is nice but not competent."

8. Communication
A leader provides the human face for his organization, and should come across as "caring, confident, sincere, and on top of things." While the General uses the Gipper as an example, I was actually thinking of the late Dave Thomas as I read this chapter. Dave epitomized the best aspects of all these characteristics, and he did it with wonderful grace and charm.

9. Decision
"Decision making is the soul of leadership."
This is the chapter for which no synopsis will do justice. There is no decision making quite like military decision making - and here he provides a wonderful blend of theoretical and practical advice.

When describing training scenarios that help you learn decision making, he makes a statement that I could frame: "If it looks like you're not making mistakes, not failing in any way, we begin to suspect that you're not really stretching and pushing the edge. Failure has to be part of the learning process". In today's world where we're so afraid of failure that our mantra is "everyone's a winner", it is refreshing to see failure dusted off and raised back up as an important component of our schools.

10. Crisis
Stuff Happens. How you react to "stuff" defines you as a leader. Think Giuliani. This chapter gives us a glimpse of what this veteran warrior thinks of Obama's leadership skills.

11. Vision
This is one of the most important chapters for a new leader to internalize. He provides wonderful examples that highlight the different levels of planning - tactical, operational, and strategic. Seeing these described from a military perspective gave me a much better appreciation of the differences between the three.

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What I loved:
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Each chapter is filled with real life experiences of the General, that make you feel privileged to be allowed these glimpses into an amazing life.

He repeatedly talks about the value of reflecting and analyzing past experiences. This is not something I usually do. When something goes well, I am apt to bask in the glory, and not question the reasons for my success; and when something goes poorly, I'm prone to banishing it to the dark recesses of my mind. His counsel? "Leadership experiences left unexamined are useless and wasted."

Another valuable piece of advice is to find a trusted mentor or friend who can help you through this analysis. The clarity of an outside perspective is invaluable especially in times of crisis when our vision is clouded with tears of frustration.

Finally, this advice works on both a personal and an organizational level: pick a few core skills - and nurture these, until you outshine everyone else in those areas. I.e., you want to be the iPod or the iPhone of those areas.

I was curious to see who he considers to be examples of good leaders - and some of the leaders he approves of are Odierno, Petraeus, and Obama. These names give us real world comparison points against which to measure ourselves, making his lessons more meaningful.

The chapters are filled with delightful quotations. My favorite? "The chain of command in any organization is like a tree full of monkeys. If you look down from the top, you see smiling faces. If you look up from the bottom, you get a much different perspective." I can't stop smiling :)

Another evocative image is of "a self-licking ice cream cone" - which he uses to describe a bureaucracy that functions like the Borg - growing by assimilating all available resources - whether or not they add any value to the organization's purpose.

If you were pressed for time and had to pick just three chapters to read from this book - I'd strongly recommend the chapters on Decisions, Vision, and Knowledge (in that order).

Happy Reading!

-Damodar (swengsol.com) Read more ›

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Study and Apply General Zinni's Lessons on Leadership May 5, 2009

By Alain B. Burrese TOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Maybe it is because of my military and martial background that I really related to "Leading The Charge: Leadership Lessons From The Battlefield To The Boardroom" by General Tony Zinni and Tony Koltz. General Zinni's extensive leadership experience at the highest levels of the military, diplomatic, and business worlds comes through loud and clear in this interesting and educational guide to key aspects of leadership.

General Zinni starts out with a chapter on the crisis in leadership. He explores the changes in the world and asks what has happened to our leaders. He asks if this leadership crisis, that he states we are in, is just a leadership problem or is it deeper than that. He then goes into exploring these issues. Chapters include: The Failure to Adapt, The New Leader, Self-Knowledge, Ethics, The Led, Environment, The Enterprise, Speed, Knowledge, Communication, Decision, Crisis, and Vision. All of the chapters include relevant examples from actual experience, rather than just leadership theory.

I thoroughly enjoyed how General Zinni included theory and practicality throughout the text. For instance, in the Ethics chapter, he presents different classical approaches to ethics and how decisions made according to the standards of one will often conflict with the standards of another. He acknowledges that people being led today are more knowledgeable and more assertive than the led have been in the past, and they have more to say to leaders. Leading today is not the same as it once was, and this is a theme throughout the entire book.

General Zinni's observations on leadership, based on his years of experience, make this book interesting, entertaining, and most of all a practical guide to help the reader become a better leader.... Zinni declares it is a challenging time for leaders, and I could not agree with him more. His suggestions on defining yourself and your code for leading will help leaders know who they are, and if they stick to the code as Zinni instructs, they will become better leaders.

I think everyone should continue to improve their leadership ability. Studying leadership, and then applying those lessons, is a way to become a better leader and make a difference. This text by General Zinni is a great book to study, and he provides many practical lessons, based on experience, to implement and apply to your own situation. His final message is that the world has been changing and we need leaders who see the opportunities. Read "Leading The Charge" and be one of them!

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read, but repetitive May 28, 2009

By M. Cordoba VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

First the good things:
- Written in a way that is approachable, using fairly common language and it feels like a natural conversation, not a heavy text.
- Lots of insights into the marines of back in the day.
- Good perspective on leadership (despite being heavily based on his military background)
- Brings up questions that people are having (Where have our leaders been as the world crisis gets worse?) and attempts to address them.

Now the bad things:
- Repetitive, almost to the extreme. Also concurring with someone, the first 70 pages or so really take "broad repetitive questions and sayings" to the extreme. You'll find an excellent collection of 50 plus ways of saying or complaining about: "Where have our leaders been?"
- Long winded, even when not being repetitive, it seems like he goes on and on, or tries to explain a simple concept with too many examples. If you are capable of reading the book you got his point with the first example, no point in having 2 more, with a lot more details, which sole purpose is to explain what he just did and it was already clear...
- Pats himself in the back too much. Which is ok, but as he is writing about how great a leader he is/was he puts the blame in the new leaders (or lack thereof) even though the problems were already being set in motion during his era of leadership (80s-90s). He has done some good things, but wouldn't have hurt tooting own horn less, and admitting to more...

Neutral aspects:
- Military background (the marines and experiences in the army made this man what he is, and the book reflects this. It's leadership from that perspective. (As opposed to say, the perspective of an entrepreneur)

Personally, I enjoyed the book.... But it could have been written in about 1/3 of the pages, with more concise language, written better, and that would make the book worth 4 or 5 stars. Read more ›