Synopses & Reviews
George Washington ranks as one of the great military leaders in history. The character traits he exemplified, and the leadership skills he employed, enabled him to defeat what was then the world's most powerful nation.
In this marvelous book, Mark McNeilly shows today's managers how they can learn from Washington's career--both his triumphs and setbacks--to succeed as leaders in their chosen field. McNeilly paints vivid portraits of some of the crucial moments in Washington's military career, from the early debacle on Long Island Heights to the masterstroke at Trenton. There Washington, aided by his use of intelligence and disinformation, and by his great fortitude in the face of truly daunting conditions, routed the Hessians. McNeilly uses these stirring military encounters to underscore Washington's managerial genius: to persuade and inspire, to open up the decision-making process, to seize opportunities when they arise, to persevere when setbacks occurred, and to learn from his mistakes. Indeed, the true value of the book lies in McNeilly's brilliant ability to link military and business strategy, revealing that successful corporate leaders must possess many of the same traits that Washington did. Using examples from the NFL, Cadillac, Coke, Samsung, Embraer, IBM and others, McNeilly shows how business leaders can apply Washington's principles for success.
Blending colorful military and business history with crystal-clear commentary, George Washington and the Art of Business belongs of the shelves of all executives who want to hone their leadership skills.
Review
"Author of the phenomenal, trend-setting Sun Tzu and the Art of Business, Mark McNeilly now turns his sights to the first commander-in-chief, revealing how Washington's self-discipline, persistence, character, and organizational skills offer a working model for success in today's business world."--Steven Heine, Professor and Director of Asian Studies at Florida International University, author of White Collar Zen
"McNeilly brings George Washington to life in a vivid and relevant manner by insightfully linking his leadership skills to today's business challenges."--Allen Adamson, author of Brand Simple
"George Washington's leadership traits--character, courage, vision, innovation, and wisdom--are crucial to building and growing a business. In his insightful book Mark McNeilly shows how we have taken those traits for granted, and how, by rediscovering them, we can have the next best thing to Washington himself running our company."-- Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
"As Mark McNeilly makes clear, George Washington's successes--which more often than not followed his failures--were due to one factor above others: the quality of his character. If you aspire to be a leader in business, buy this book and heed its lessons."--B. Joseph Pine II, co-author, Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want
"George Washington possessed a deep, almost innate, understanding of the importance of information and intelligence-essential ingredients for all great leaders. Mark McNeilly has done a masterful, highly readable and insightful, job revealing just how much these attributes can mean to successful business leaders."--Daryl Travis, CEO and Founder, Brandtrust
"With George Washington and the Art of Business, Mark McNeilly has written the ideal primer for teaching leadership development at the highest levels."--William H. Grumbles, Jr., Executive in Residence, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
About the Author
Mark McNeilly spent the majority of his career with IBM in marketing leadership positions. He is currently the Director for Branding and Marketing Strategy for Lenovo, a major global computer company. He is the author of
Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers and
Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare. He has discussed his ideas on strategy in the
New York Times, Los Angeles Times, on the BBC, C-SPAN, CNBC and other TV and radio programs. A infantry captain in the US Army National Guard, he lives in Cary, North Carolina.