Peaceful lives will not deliver freedom fighting we know

For many years, I have enjoyed the leadership books that explore an individual’s life and discuss leadership lessons that can be learned from him or her. Books have been written about everyone from Abraham Lincoln to Walt Disney and Michael Jordan, discussing how we can lead just as they did. It is no surprise, then, that I would be attracted to Geoff Loftus’ new book, “Lead Like Ike.”
Loftus tells the story of what is arguably the greatest military leadership feat in recent history, the retaking of Europe and the defeat of Nazi Germany, Interspersed among the details of plans for battle, invasions, fighting, and overcoming challenges are lessons in business leadership that can be used today.
I enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, it is a quick read. Loftus was thorough, but didn’t get bogged down in details that are best left to history books. Second, I am a history buff, and I learned some things while reading the book. Third, Loftus explored the interpersonal relations between the principals among Allied leaders. This, after all, was where Eisenhower truly showed his leadership skills. Fourth, Loftus made effective use of sidebars to give modern business illustrations that correspond to what Eisenhower dealt with. This was a very effective teaching tool. Finally, at the end of each chapter, he summarized the main learning points. This will make it easy to return to the book and find significant points of interest to me. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical leadership.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255