Wisdom From The Ancients: Enduring Business Lessons From Alexander The Great, Julius Caesar, And The Illustrious Leaders Of Ancient Greece And Rome

by Thomas J. Figueira, T. Corey Brennan, Rachel Hall Sternberg

Ancient Greece, the culture that brought us democracy, philosophy, comedy and tragedy, and the Olympic Games, and ancient Rome, best known for its military prowess, technological achievements, and imperial administration, are justly renowned for their contributions to Western civilization. Wisdom from the Ancients brings alive for today's managers the timeless insights of such larger-than-life figures as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Trajan, Pericles, and dozens of other colorful and enigmatic leaders. Through direct quotations of ancient texts, engaging commentary, and period art, the authors illuminate the strategies and tactics that have withstood the test of time-from leadership and delegation to managing conflict to effective and persuasive communication.

Genres: History, Business, Leadership, Ancient History

192 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2001

Reviews

[Rick Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on leadership from the ancient world. The authors examples illustrate the fact that leadership is a human endeavor and spans the centuries. Although today we have the advantage of scientific studies, academic research, and thousands of case studies to review, the basics of leadership are still the same as they were during the times of Alexander the Great, and other notable (and infamous) Greek and Roman leaders. It is a refreshing read and a good example that you don't have to live in the 21st century to have all the answers.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outside of technology, we really aren't that much different then our ancient relations. Some of the best thinking was documented thousands of year ago. Overtime, these ideas have been modified and frequently improved, but the underlying issues impacting people, their transactions, and their personal values have held steady for ions. i enjoyed reading this book and have applied many of the lessons to my daily business and advisory services.

[William Yip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked reading the original sources more than the insights the authors had about those sources and how they relate to business. Some of the insights were decent but mainly they were generic and not in-depth. The authors did sometimes joke based on the sources which were pretty humorous.