Some say that war, however brutal and disgusting we may find it, brings out the finest qualities in leaders: courage, honor, integrity, and, above all, character. The lessons of war serve as popular civilian leadership models. Should we study the great generals of history and Lead with War? The problem is that leaders and leadership principles are full of contradictions, as reflected in the views of military strategists and generals the world over. What we often fail to learn from history is that there are different perspectives on leadership that we tend to cherry-pick as we see fit.

History supposedly informs the actions of the future leadership, and one can no doubt be enlightened by viewing leadership through a military prism. War is a profoundly human experience and as such is guided by human emotions and passion. But would those who have fought on our battlefields really recommend war as a classroom for learning team leadership in the civilian workplace? To make the best use of the insights the great historical generals offer us, we must watch for source bias, place their views in proper perspective, and modify the information in order to use it successfully within our own organization.

The material in this book is excerpted from the previously published book, Leadership, It Ain't Rocket Science: A Critical Analysis of Moving with the Cheese and Other Motivational Leadership Bullshit, also by Martina Sprague.