General Zinni provides a discussion of leadership from a military and corporate perspective. While somewhat useful much of what he says does not translate into my management position in the Federal Government. He is also from an older generation than myself and almost all current people in the workforce. ( )

While the prose won't win any style points, there's plenty of food for thought here, both for those who would lead and those who are interested in the current state of leadership. In addition to posing some challenging questions, Zinni offers up useful insights into the nature of leadership, and how the challenges of leading have changed as we have moved into the 21st century.

Those interested in practical advice for successful leadership should find much of value in this short book. But fair warning for the reader who is looking only for a checklist of practical tips (like, say, using checklists to measure progress) or an outline of leadership tricks: A good deal of Zinni's advice relates not to specific leadership practices (these might better be thought of as "management" practices in any case), but focuses instead on how to develop as a person into the type of individual who can successfully lead.

In that sense, the book is as much about strategy (how to become a leader) as it is about tactics (how to lead). In fact, the examples and approach Zinni takes in the book make for a strong (if sometimes only implied) argument that such a failure of *character* in our current leaders is in large part responsible for what he sees as the currrent failure of leadership in virtually every major aspect of our society (including politics, industry, and religion). The emphasis on character and character-building shouldn't really come as a surprise, given Zinni's military background -- but he also backs up his argument with plenty of examples from outside the military arena as well.

Definitely worth a look for anyone interested in questions about what makes for a "good" leader and good leadership today. ( )