Power, Ambition, Glory
By Steve Forbes and John Prevas

Synopsis Power, Ambition, Glory analyzes great leaders in history and links similarities with leaders of today. Great leaders such as Cyrus the Great, Alexander the Great, Hannibal of Carthage, Julius Caesar and Augustus bear a striking resemblance to characteristics that we see from current business leaders. The historical leader’s leadership style and results that followed give insight into effective management.

Cyrus the Great Cyrus the Great saw no boundaries for his conquest. While he commanded a powerful army, he used his intelligence to win wars. Rather than razing towns and enslaving the residents, Cyrus brought acceptance and integration for the local population …show more content…

This book was written to express and compare characteristics seen in great leaders that carry through time. The authors state, “Our hope is that we can make the connection for you between what constituted great leadership in the ancient world and what we need today as we move into the most complicated, fearful, yet promising time in history: the twenty-first century.” (p. 10) One leader stood out as being different than the great leaders. Xenophon may have been an effective leader, but he does not hold a candle to the rest of the historical great leaders analyzed in this book. He was likely added in the hopes that John Prevas’, Xenophon’s March, might strike an interest in readers to purchase that book as well.
Target Audience The concepts contained in this book are aimed to offer guidance to business people of all types. Although the main focus is leadership, the authors are careful not to single out business leaders as the sole recipient of the knowledge. Statements such as, “For a Moment, assume the role of a CEO and put yourself in Sloan’s shoes.” (pp. 261-262) pull readers of all walks of business life into the story.
Effective Writing Power, Ambition, Glory is a down to earth, easy to read and interesting book. The authors convey effective examples of important leadership lessons through the historical figures used. This is evident in the statement, “By avoiding battle, Hannibal