Stories are a wonderfully memorable way to learn lessons of leadership. I actually find them kind of addictive.
Some of my all-time favorites are:
- Grassroots Leadership, an article from FastCompany about Navy Commander Mike Abrashoff, who took over a very unhappy ship and helped his crew turn it into the best ship in the Navy. Abrashoff went on to write several excellent books about his experiences.
- Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing. I have read four or five books about Shackleton’s Antarctic adventure, and they are all good. The Lansing version is my favorite though, as it’s based directly on the journals of several crew members.
- One of the most inspiring examples of leadership I have ever seen in a movie was Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman) in Invictus. It tells the story of Mandela’s leadership when, early in his Presidency, South Africa hosted the Rugby World Cup. Amazing.
What is your favorite leadership story? (I need a fix.)