George Washington and the Art of Business: The Leadership Principles of America's First Commander-in-Chief

George Washington ranks as one of the great military leaders in history. The character traits he exemplified, and the leadership skills he employed, enabled him to defeat what was then the world's most powerful nation.
In this marvelous book, Mark McNeilly shows today's managers how they can learn from Washington's career--both his triumphs and setbacks--to succeed as leaders in their chosen field. McNeilly paints vivid portraits of some of the crucial moments in Washington's military career, from the early debacle on Long Island Heights to the masterstroke at Trenton. There Washington, aided by his use of intelligence and disinformation, and by his great fortitude in the face of truly daunting conditions, routed the Hessians. McNeilly uses these stirring military encounters to underscore Washington's managerial genius: to persuade and inspire, to open up the decision-making process, to seize opportunities when they arise, to persevere when setbacks occurred, and to learn from his mistakes. Indeed, the true value of the book lies in McNeilly's brilliant ability to link military and business strategy, revealing that successful corporate leaders must possess many of the same traits that Washington did. Using examples from the NFL, Cadillac, Coke, Samsung, Embraer, IBM and others, McNeilly shows how business leaders can apply Washington's principles for success.
Blending colorful military and business history with crystal-clear commentary, George Washington and the Art of Business belongs of the shelves of all executives who want to hone their leadership skills.

Mark McNeilly spent the majority of his career with IBM in marketing leadership positions. He is currently the Director for Branding and Marketing Strategy for Lenovo, a major global computer company. He is the author of Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers and Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare. He has discussed his ideas on strategy in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, on the BBC, C-SPAN, CNBC and other TV and radio programs. A infantry captain in the US Army National Guard, he lives in Cary, North Carolina.