You are here

Napoleonic Leadership
Share

Napoleonic Leadership
A Study in Power


March 2015 | 160 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd

‘Whether you are studying leadership, or doing leadership, this is a rollicking good read, and a fabulously rich book.’ - Ken Parry, Professor of Leadership Studies and co-Director of the Deakin Leadership Centre, Australia


He came to France an immigrant and left an exile – but, in a career spanning just 35 years, he became general, consul and emperor. 

How did Napoleon’s name come to be synonymous with brilliance, legend and glory despite displaying opportunistic and manipulative tendencies, and repeatedly deserting those that followed him?
200 years after his defeat, what lessons can we learn from his successes and his failures?

As the world marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, this fascinating study on leadership and power tackles the questions that continue to intrigue and mystify.  As now, power was gained and held by political manipulation, patronage, fear, putsch, charisma, popular vote and the new idea of meritocracy. 

Through the inclusion of Reflections and Questions, Jones and Gosling also highlight some important lessons for current and future managers and leaders.


 
Introduction
 
Chapter 1. Patronage
 
Chapter 2. Merit
 
Chapter 3. Charisma
 
Chapter 4. Coup d'etat
 
Chapter 5. Manipulation
 
Chapter 6. Fear
 
Chapter 7. Election
 
Chapter 8. Inheritance
 
Executive Reflections on Leadership and Power

The authors have fully capitalised on their opportunity to study one of the world's most complex and enduring leadership subjects. They provide a clever and compelling integration of well-chosen thematic historical material with sharp contemporary leadership analysis that business executives, public sector leaders and academics alike can derive a great deal of intellectual stimulation and sound practical advice from. I strongly commend this novel and delightful book.

Brad Jackson
Head of School of Government at the Victoria University of Wellington

A great man once said that “class is ageless”.  Thanks to Jones and Gosling, the leadership study that is Napoleon is ageless.  Any student of leadership will come to understand the role of power, of politics, of personal charisma and of the needs of the people. 

Whether you are studying leadership, or doing leadership, this is a rollicking good read, and a fabulously rich text book. 

Ken Parry
Professor of Leadership Studies and co-Director of the Deakin Leadership Centre, Australia

For better or for worse, power is a central issue in the study and practice of leadership. Jones and Gosling take us on an intellectually stimulating journey through the eyes of a complex leader – Napoleon – who left us a contradictory legacy of glory and misery. Business and political leaders could benefit greatly from the insights found in this book.

Gama Perruci
Dean of the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business, Marietta College, and Consultant for The New York Times in Leadership Program.

Napoleonic Leadership stands out from the other titles because it examines Napoleon’s style of leadership in a way perhaps not considered in other histories about the emperor. Indeed, it is not strictly a history at all, rather an academic text aimed at aiding the study of leadership as a subject in itself. [...] although written as an academic text, the book is easy to read and not overly heavy in the academic language that can so often put off the general reader. This interesting and different book certainly deserves a five out of five star rating.

Mark Simner
Author and Historian of British Military History

Too limited and theoretical.

Dr Julie Hodges
Durham Business School, Durham University
August 24, 2015

Select a Purchasing Option


Rent or Buy eBook
ISBN: 9781473927384

Hardcover
ISBN: 9781446294420
$148.00

Paperback
ISBN: 9781446294437
$52.00

This title is also available on SAGE Knowledge, the ultimate social sciences online library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial.