The Art of Command: Military Leadership - Washington to Colin Powell

This book is a collection of chapters written by experts on the focus individuals. The 7th chapter on Rickover is written by Tim Foster (NRHQ SH 08H Retired 1994). Foster assesses the career of Rickover and uncovers important attributes of effective leadership in the field of high technology. "Leaders like Rickover are tasked with developing, implementing, and adapting to technological change. Rickover epitomized effective technological leadership. The essential elements of his success included innovative approaches to problem solving, unshakable determination to success, and his high standards for performance and accountability."

Chapters focus on:

George Washington

Ulysses S Grant

George C Marshall

Dwight D Eisenhower

Lewis B Chesty Puller

Henry H Hap Arnold

Hyman G Rickover

Harold G Hal Moore

Colin L Powell

The book synopsis:

What essential leadership lessons do we learn by distilling the actions and ideas of great military commanders such as George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Colin Powell? That is the fundamental question underlying The Art of Command: Military Leadership from George Washington to Colin Powell. The book illustrates that great leaders become great through conscious effort—a commitment not only to develop vital skills but also to surmount personal shortcomings. Harry S. Laver, Jeffrey J. Matthews, and the other contributing authors identify nine core characteristics of highly effective leadership, such as integrity, determination, vision, and charisma, and nine significant figures in American military history whose careers embody those qualities. The Art of Command examines each figure's strengths and weaknesses and how those attributes affected their leadership abilities, offering a unique perspective of military leadership in American history. Laver and Matthews have assembled a list of contributors from military, academic, and professional circles, which allows the book to encompass diverse approaches to the study of leadership.