the study of ancient events from a business perspective offers a unique way of observing how leadership actually works. the leaders presented and discussed in this book are significant figures in their own right. many of the things they did were extremely successful, and the consequences of their failures were just as spectacular. these leaders decided on courses of action within the context of their times, aware of the range of possibilities that were open to them. this allows us to note how they responded in different contexts and how temperament, intelligence, experience and advice came into play as they dealt with pressing problems. the actual methods they used to implement their decisions are also instructive, since they illustrate a choice of approaches still faced by managers as leaders today. the authors show how these lessons are being used in todays organisations and how readers can implement them in their everyday managerial roles. each of the fourteen chapters addresses a key theme in leadership and each is structured in the same way: · historical setting of the leader and outline of the action taken · recent thinking on the leadership topic under review, with reference to the decisions taken by that leader · a contemporary challenge, with cases drawn from organizational settings in both public and private sectors