American Generalship
What does it take to make a great general or a great leader or manager in any field? Puryear (Nineteen Stars, not reviewed, etc.) attempts to find definitive answers. The author spent 35 years doing prodigious research, interviewing more than 100 four-star generals and over 1,000 leaders of every stripe, studying hundreds of biographies, memoirs, and military texts in his search for patterns and role models. He finds character the single most important element of exceptional leaders like Washington, Marshall, MacArthur, Eisenhower, Bradley, ``Billy'' Mitchell, Patton, ``Hap'' Arnold, Powell, and Schwarzkopf. Unselfishness, he adds, is essential in enabling leaders to disagree with superiors and put their careers on the line when they think their commanding officers are wrong. Making decisions has often been called the essence of leadership. Truman dropped the nuclear bomb to end the carnage of WWII and recognized the tiny state of Israel among a sea of enemies; MacArthur invaded Inchon to turn the Korean War around despite disagreements among his peers and advisers. Indecisiveness, contends Puryear, marks the poorest leaders. Some other patterns he discerns: Loyalty requires giving an honest opinion whether the boss likes it or not, but once a decision is made, the debate ends and the decision must be executed faithfully (Powell). Great leaders avoid yes men.'' Leaders mold more leaders. Intuition may be valuable if tempered by long experience and good judgment (Schwarzkopf). Most top commanders were voracious lifelong readers (MacArthur inherited 4,000 books from his military-hero father). Finally, Eisenhowerwho spent much time visiting his troops and junior officers, stimulating them to reveal hidden problemsshows the importance of listening to your followers. An excellent contribution to the study of leadership among those who make life-and-death decisions in the most challenging situationsone that could well serve as required reading in both military and business schools.  --Copyright ©2000, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.