21 Great Leaders: Learn Their Lessons, Improve Your Influence

266 Pages·2015·1.43 MB·English

by  Pat Williams

Praise for 21 Great Leaders
“What a unique combination this book provides! You will discover an intriguing
view of twenty-one world-class leaders followed by leadership lessons that will
help you grow as an influencer. My friend Pat Williams has written a leadership
classic.”
John C. Maxwell New York Times bestselling author
“More and more I am convinced that one of the best ways to teach leadership is
through the use of stories. When it comes to storytelling, no one does it better
than Pat Williams. His newest book, 21 Great Leaders, is a tour de force that
integrates leadership stories and lessons that will help anyone with the practical
insights they can put into practice.”
John Baldoni Internationally recognized leadership educator and executive coach
Author of MOXIE: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership and Lead with
Purpose.
“Pat Williams’ new book 21 Great Leaders is magnificent. The stories are
fascinating and the leadership lessons at the end of each chapter will prove
invaluable to leaders at every level.”
Frances Hesselbein President and CEO of the Frances Hesselbein Leadership
Institute Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
“Leadership may be an elusive commodity these days, but this highly useful
collection will serve to remind leaders and would-be leaders alike that they need
only look again to proven leaders of the past for the lessons and inspiration they
need to face modern challenges. This primer should be read by everyone who
aspires to manage and influence others.”
Harold Holzer Chairman of the Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation
“All Americans who love their country can benefit from this important book.
Although most political dogs in government are probably too old to learn new
tricks, the nation might return to its former glory if they emulated the great
leaders Pat Williams describes so brilliantly.”
Harlow Giles Unger Author of John Marshall, The Chief Justice Who Saved the
Nation
“Wow! What a compelling collection of leaders who personify leadership
excellence at the highest level.”
John Swofford Atlantic Coast Conference Commissioner
“In these difficult times, we all need to step up and lead. Pat Williams uses 21
Great Leaders to show us how.”
Dr. Larry J. Sabato Director, UVA Center for Politics Author of The Kennedy
Half Century
“Plutarch, who wrote the biographies of every great man in the ancient world,
said their virtues were like a ‘looking-glass, in which I may see how to adjust…
my own life.’ Pat Williams holds up twenty-one great men and women from
George Washington to Bill Gates as mirrors for our time. Look at them, and
learn.”
Richard Brookhiser Author of Founders’ Son: A Life of Abraham Lincoln
“Pat Williams asks us to join him in observing excellent leadership in twenty-
one men and women from across the political spectrum. He has an eye for the
revealing anecdote, an ear for different voices, and a knack for storytelling.”
Joseph J. Ellis Author of Founding Brothers
“Whether you are involved as a leader in sports, business, or your family, you
will find immense value in Pat Williams’ book, 21 Great Leaders. It’s a great
read full of fantastic stories and practical advice that will increase your
influence. You will not be disappointed in this investment into your leadership
library.”
Mike Slive Southeastern Conference Commissioner
“21 Great Leaders is a thoughtful and insightful reflection on the lives and
lessons of leaders—recent and distant—who’ve made a meaningful difference.
Pat’s near encyclopedic knowledge of history and leadership, and his
extraordinary personal experience as a leader and coach, give this book an
authenticity that is incomparable. 21 Great Leaders is at once a deep meditation
and a practical guidebook that you will find useful in becoming the best leader
you can be.”
Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner Coauthors of the bestselling The Leadership
Challenge

© 2015 by Pat Williams
Print ISBN 978-1-63058-690-4
eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-63058-694-2
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-63058-693-5
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Lessons, Improve Your Influence, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”
Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture quotations marked MSG are from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993,
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Published by Shiloh Run Press, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio
44683, www.shilohrunpress.com
Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical
encouragement to the masses.
Printed in the United States of America.
Dedication
This book is dedicated
to my friend John Maxwell,
a great teacher, mentor, and
role model of leadership
Contents
Introduction: The Seven Sides of Leadership
The First Side of Leadership: VISION
1. Walt Disney: Dream, Believe, Dare, Do!
2. Nelson Mandela: A Rainbow Vision
3. Steve Jobs: A Dent in the Universe
The Second Side of Leadership: COMMUNICATION
4. Winston Churchill: Sending Language into Battle
5. Martin Luther King Jr.: “I Have a Dream”
6. Ronald Reagan: The Great Communicator
The Third Side of Leadership: PEOPLE SKILLS
7. Sam Walton: The Ten-Foot Rule
8. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Stricken and Strengthened
9. Pope John Paul II: The Force of Forgiveness
The Fourth Side of Leadership: CHARACTER
10. George Washington: When the Summons Comes
11. Billy Graham: Moral Firewalls
12. Theodore Roosevelt: The Man in the Arena
The Fifth Side of Leadership: COMPETENCE
13. Thomas Jefferson: The Competent Polymath
14. Bill Gates: Compute—and Compete
15. Dwight D. Eisenhower: Competent to Decide
The Sixth Side of Leadership: BOLDNESS
16. Rosa Parks: Tired of Giving In
17. Harry S. Truman: The Buck Stops Here
18. Margaret Thatcher: The Lady’s Not for Turning
The Seventh Side of Leadership: A SERVING HEART
19. Gandhi: The Great Soul.
20. Mother Teresa: In Service to God’s Holy Poor.
21. Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator
Notes
Acknowledgments
Contact Information