On War and Leadership by Owen Connelly (Princeton 2002)

"The Art of War" by Sun Tzu has stimulated a growing interest in the application of the lessons of generalship to business success. This book is another milestone on the route to knowledge - but is it the right route?

"On War and Leadership" is an eclectic view of the development of leadership through battle over the last 250 years. Its premise is that military leadership is a model for leadership in business. Through a range of military leaders from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf it traces the sources and manifestations of the leadership displayed by various exemplars. It develops its theme from the aphorisms of Frederick and Napoleon, through historical analysis to "real life" battle scenes in modern times. Large parts of the book are compulsive reading, so that you thrill to the exploits of Civil War heroes and live the horrors of battle in Indo-China and Vietnam. The evidence of the ability of good leaders to carry ordinary mortals through desperate situations is abundant. We are shown glimpses of "servant leadership", the development of leadership in others in the case studies of Generals Stillwell and Moore, yet little is shown of the daily routine which is the real challenge of leadership.

The book focusses on the generalship of its exemplars. Napoleon is seen as a military leader, yet his greater role in establishing a new French state, with laws, new measurements, etc is neglected. Nor does the book show the failure of Eisenhower as a president or MacArthur as a plenipotentiary in Japan. Rommel was not a success away from the Western Desert; Lawrence had a wider vision for Arabia but was betrayed by his own superiors. War is but one dimension of life and leadership. General Giap has had the sense to avoid political power and rest on his military laurels.

Owen Connelly distils a few principles of leadership. The habit of winning is paramount and creates trust between the leader and his/her followers. In order to win he identifies "camaraderie" as essential (Stillwell always ate with his troops); an ability to improvise is also crucial and regular drilling/training were critical to ensuring performance under fire. Most civilian models of leadership focus on "vision" as the prerequisite for effective action (few generals are permitted "vision"). In order to realise the "vision" leaders need the ability to make things happen and flexibility in meeting unforeseen events (Connelly's "improvisation"). "Charisma" is now seen as less important for civilian leadership, following the disastrous experience of leaders such as Jean-Marie Messier. This was based on the model of Napoleon, Montgomery, Patton and de Gaulle which now seems passé. Modern leadership follows the practice of Stillwell, Moore and other "servant leaders" who seek to empower their followers and allow them to develop their own leadership qualities. In business today there is an emerging interest in "low key" leadership as exemplified by Terry Leahy of Tesco, Marjorie Scardino of Pearson and John Peace of GUS. Such leaders focus on their company, not themselves, and empower others to build outstanding performance.

There is no magic formula for leadership - to borrow a phrase "you recognise it when you see it". Owen Connelly's book adds considerably to our appreciation of military leadership, yet war is a destructive process, at best cathartic, but not creative. Much of the pity of military leadership is that it can be heroic and generals can perform miracles in the service of politicians who almost always lack the civil leadership to avoid betraying the fruits of their sacrifice.

Adrian Davies - 5th May 2004