What makes a modern leader? It is a question that becomes more and more pressing in these troubled times of worldwide conflicts and economic turmoil. And it is a question eloquently answered by the stories told in this book: true-life accounts of some of the most distinguished flag officers in the U.S. Navy in recent history.
Edgar Puryear, a lecturer on leadership for the National Defense University, explores the views and principles that have guided these accomplished officers. Among them, he identifies an inventory of attributes that define the character of a successful leader in our day. The result is an artfully organized compendium of leadership principles from the likes of Ernest King, Chester Nimitz, William Halsey, Arleigh Burke, James Holloway, Carlisle Trost, Stansfield Turner, and William Crowe Jr. Puryear embeds the lessons in leadership from these exemplary lives in first-person accounts of significant events in history. Thus he dramatically illustrates each aspect of command under discussion as the admirals frankly describe rationales for the actions they took, often in the face of strong bureaucratic opposition.
The motivation, character, and legacies of two of the Navys most controversial leaders, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt and Admiral Hyman Rickover, also come under consideration, with thoughtful and telling testimony from their contemporaries. This broad array of detailed case histories and accompanying analysis reveals the qualities of leadership that have elevated the U.S. Navy to the position of the preeminent seaborne combat force in the world. It also makes for fascinating reading, and remarkable insight into what defines successful leadership in the modern era.
