Power Ambition Glory: The Stunning Parallels between Great Leaders of the Ancient World and Today . . . and the Lessons You Can Learn

278 Pages·2010·1.72 MB·English

by  Steve Forbes

Copyright © 2009 by Steve Forbes and John Prevas All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Three Rivers Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
Three Rivers Press and the Tugboat design are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Crown Business, an imprint of the
Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, in 2009.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Forbes, Steve, 1947–
Prevas, John, 1943–
Power ambition glory / Steve Forbes and John Prevas.
1. Leadership—Case studies. 2. Power (Social Sciences)—Case studies.
3. Civilization, Classical. I. Prevas, John. II. Title.
HD57.7.F665 2009
658.4′092–dc22
2008052008
eISBN: 978-0-30745229-0
v3.1
TO LEILA AND WINSTON,
FUTURE LEADERS
—Steve Forbes
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Epigraph
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION: How the Past Can Guide Your Future
I
1. THE PERSIAN EMPIRE: Cultural Diversity,
Self-Determination, and the Art of Making Money
2. CYRUS THE GREAT: Lessons in Tolerance and Inclusion
II
3. CLASSICAL GREECE: Do Thinkers Make Good Leaders?
4. XENOPHON: Building Consensus and Finding Direction
5. ALEXANDER THE GREAT: The Price of Arrogance
III
6. CARTHAGE: A Businessman’s Paradise
7. HANNIBAL OF CARTHAGE: Innovation
IV
8. THE ROMAN REPUBLIC: The Ultimate Multinational
9. JULIUS CAESAR: Ego and Ambition
10. AUGUSTUS: Stability and Moderation
EPILOGUE
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
Rem tene verba sequentur.
(Get hold of the matter and the words will follow.)
—Cato
FOREWORD
by Rudy Giuliani
This is a complicated age for Americans. At times it feels like we are
alone in history, suffering through a unique set of trials that leaders have
never faced before. A book like Power Ambition Glory serves as a
testament to the cycles of history and reminds us that nations and
leaders have survived grave challenges. It’s also a reminder that nations
and leaders have overreached and failed. If the fragile balance of power,
ambition, and glory is disrupted, then empires are lost.
The challenges we face today are certainly historic. The global
economy is crumbling, and all of us are wondering how our new leaders
will actually lead. Will they follow the example of a leader like
Alexander the Great, whose grand vision was colored by an insatiable
need for flattery? Will our leaders look to Cyrus, who boldly added to his
vast empire but struggled to make all the far-flung parts function
together in harmony?
It is the obligation of any leader to try to learn from the successes and
failures of the past. In taking us on a fascinating tour of the principles,
habits, styles, and results of leaders of the past, Steve Forbes and John
Prevas draw clear lessons that today’s readers can put to work in their
own lives.
Reading this book, I was reminded of a problem I faced after I became
mayor of New York City in 1994. Our tourism industry was on life
support. No one wanted to drive into New York because they were
accosted at the tunnels, and no one wanted to stay in New York because
the hotel taxes were exorbitant. People who were inclined to spend
money in New York City—money that would provide good jobs and
support New York families—were afraid of being confronted by a
“squeegee man” wielding a filthy wiper and demanding a handout. And
if they chose to stay overnight, they faced a hotel tax of 21.25 percent—
a burden that was about triple the average of the country’s busiest cities.
The result was predictable. Businesses staged 50 percent fewer
conventions in New York in 1993 than they had five years earlier—the
Professional Convention Management Association in effect boycotted the
city.
New Yorkers had been told that both these problems were intractable.
The squeegee men supposedly had a “right” to wander into traffic and
intimidate visitors. The hotel tax was high because the city and state
desperately needed the revenue. My administration was determined to
tackle both of these problems, not only to solve these two problems, but
more important, to show New Yorkers that progress and reform were
possible, that actual results could be achieved.
As one of my first actions as mayor, I sent a letter to the governor
asking for a repeal of the state’s 5 percent hotel tax. And I cut the New
York City tax from 6 percent to 5 percent. This was a small step, but
important symbolically—no one could remember any tax ever being
reduced in New York City. Since the leader of any large enterprise
cannot speak directly to each constituent, symbols are significant. I
wanted to send a powerful message that I believed that lower taxes
would stimulate more than enough business to offset any immediate loss
in revenue. That’s exactly what happened with the hotel tax. Within
months, net revenue from the hotel tax was actually higher at 5 percent
than it had been at 6 percent, since far more visitors were coming to the
city.
At the same time, we began to tackle the “squeegee man” problem.
Estimates had generally placed their numbers at a couple thousand, but
we had the police study the situation; we were astonished to discover
that they identified only about 180. Rather than tangle with First
Amendment issues, we took the novel—and fully legal—approach of
ticketing these men for jaywalking. After all, running in between moving
cars was dangerous for drivers and for the squeegee men themselves. In
the process they were identified and often found to be wanted for other
violations and crimes. They were removed, and that very visible success
set the stage for a series of dramatic improvements in New York City. An
early victory set the tone for the next eight years.
More than most authors, Steve Forbes understands the power of
symbols. As the leader of one of the publishing world’s great brand
names, Steve understands that large organizations must set clear goals
and hold themselves accountable. If someone representing Forbes does
something irresponsible, then to the public—and to the rest of the
Forbes organization—it is as though the action were made by Forbes
itself.
By the same token, a powerful idea can be broadly transmitted by a
leader, who can use his position to communicate ideas throughout the
organization. Steve Forbes himself has been a forceful advocate of the
idea that the American tax code is far too complicated and has greatly
strayed from its revenue-collection mission, becoming a force for social
engineering. In communicating that idea—and offering a postcard-sized
alternative—Steve entered the public debate and emerged as a leader of
the movement to make taxation fairer and simpler.
John Prevas also exhibits impressive initiative. By going into the field,
John frequently observes one of my principles of leadership—“see things
for yourself.”
For example, there had been a centuries-long controversy over what
route Hannibal took over the Alps. John actually explored the various
possibilities, and in his book on Hannibal made an incontrovertible case
as to the route Hannibal actually used. John has also visited various
parts of the world that were the old stomping grounds of Alexander and
other figures of classical times. Some of these areas are not particularly
hospitable to Americans, yet John found ways to see what needed to be
seen to help understand the past.
Leaders set the tone for those under their sway. Their priorities must
be established and communicated if they are to achieve the support of
the people they hope to lead. It is too soon to tell what will happen in
our country as we enter a time of new leadership and unprecedented
economic turmoil. Power Ambition Glory serves as a remarkable historical
guide. It’s both a reference guide to the rise and fall of empires, as well
as a fresh look at modern business leaders and how they fit into the
framework of history.