Julius Caesar, CEO: 6 Principles to Guide & Inspire Modern Leaders

by Alan Axelrod

Thanks to Caesar, “crossing the Rubicon” has become a synonym for bold, decisive decision-making where the risks are great--but the rewards can be greater. In his popular CEO series, bestselling writer Alan Axelrod analyzes Caesar as a business leader, using an engaging, conversational style to explore six inspirational principles that constitute Julius Caesar's guiding tenets. From this, Axelrod draws 92 lessons that modern business leaders should learn from this first, great, and iconic CEO.

Genres: Business

239 pages, Hardcover

First published August 7, 2012

About the author

Alan Axelrod, Ph.D., is a prolific author of history, business and management books. As of October 2018, he had written more than 150 books, as noted in an online introduction by Lynn Ware Peek before an interview with Axelrod on the National Public Radio station KPCW. Axelrod resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

Reviews

[Arminius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julius Caesar, CEO is a great idea for a business training book. The author took Caesars tactics, speeches, and motivational skills and translated these into business leader techniques.

However, what this book excels at is providing a succinct history of one of the world’s greatest leaders.

Gaius Julius Caesar was born in 100 BC to a powerful family in the Roman Empower Sulla’s rival political party. Caesar was part of the Populares while Dictator Sulla came from the Optimates. It is a somewhat like the Democrats and Republicans. Sulla spared the young Caesar from his political purges but stripped him of his due inheritance. In response, Caesar fled Rome and joined the Roman legions in Asia.

When Sulla died Caesar returned to Rome and worked as a lawyer. In 75 BC he traveled to Rhodes to study under the renowned rhetorician Apollonius Molon. On his way he is captured by Cilician pirates. He negotiated his release and later returned to exact vengeance on his capturer pirates.

In 72 BC he returned to Rome and was elected military tribune which gave him command of a legion. In 68 BC he was elected quaester which is the lowest ranking regular magistrate in ancient Rome.

In year 63 he used bribery to obtain the position of pontifex maximus (head priest of the College of Pontiffs).

In 60 BC he joined forces with Pompey The great and Crassus to form the First Triumvirate. From this high position he was elected consul. As consul he instituted popular reforms. For instance, he offered public land to dispossessed farmers and to military veterans.

In 58 BC he is appointed governor of Cisalpine Gaul and Transalpine Gaul. For 9 years he subjugated much of Spain and France under Rome’s auspices which brought great wealth to Rome in conquered treasures. In 54 BC Caesar raided Britain. Also, Crassus is killed in a battle of his own against the Parthians.

In 52BC riots break out in Rome. To stop them the Senate elects Pompey the great as sole consul eliminating the other consulars (not only the dead Crassus but also Caesar).

In 50 BC the Senate ordered Caesar back to Rome without his Army while Pompey retained his. When Caesar asked that Pompey disband his forces as well, the Senate branded Caesar as a public enemy. So in 49 BC Caesar lead his Army across the Rubicon, the Roman boundary, thus starting a Civil war.

Pompey built up his forces which outnumber Caesar’s two to one. The war culminated at Pharsalus where Pompey is defeated and forced to flee. He fled to Egypt in asylum but is killed there. The Egyptians feared Caesar’s arrival. Caesar arrived at Egypt and installed Cleopatra as Egypt’s ruler then he moved to modern day Turkey where he subdued the rebellious King Pharnaces’ army. After this lightening fast campaign he uttered one of his most famous quotes, “Veni, Vidi, Vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered).

In 46 BC he marched into Rome as the victorious sole ruler of Rome. While Emperor he was able to resolve the Roman debt crisis, resettle masses of veterans successfully, regulating grain distribution propitiously and ushered in a thriving Roman middle class.
Unfortunately in March of 44 BC, known today as the Ides of March, sixty assassins stabbed Caesar twenty three times.

What we learned about Caesar was that he was a brilliant military tactician, a lucent arousing author, a dazzling politician, an outstanding orator. But what history lost in his killing is the depth of greatness he may have revealed as a governor.

[Bryan Nann MBA · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many authors focus on "the Caesar", the larger than life character, the conquerer. Axelrod tries to focus on the man, in a balanced way, within the context of ancient Rome. What did he get right and how can it be applied to 21st Century leadership.

[Bonnie_blu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thousands of books have been written about Julius Caesar, yet even so, writers continue to find new ways to explore the man and his life. In this book, Mr. Axelrod lists six principles of management and leadership, gives examples from Caesar's life that pertain to each principle, and then briefly describes how Caesar's actions directly relate to the modern leader. I found his approach fresh and informative even though I have read hundreds of books about Caesar. This is a perfect example of how persons from different spheres of life can provide new insights into a subject many consider thoroughly explored and the province of a particular speciality. Also, Mr. Axelrod clearly shows that Caesar's life provides concrete and valuable lessons for the modern leader. One word of caution: a number of historical events are treated superficially (e.g., the battle of Alesia and the defeat of Spartacus); therefore, the reader should not view this as a thorough history.

[Jim Serger · Rating 5 out of 5]

We can learn so much from a leader- the good and the bad. This book has 6 guides, but 92 points that allow the reader to gain more understanding as to what Caesar went though as a leader. 2 points I lived were "suck it up" and "be authentic". This book is written by an excellent wordsmith -- if you are a leader, which WE all are read this book.

[Flowergarden24 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting way to make tactics of Caesar relevant to today. I especially liked the beginning history of his life.