Includes bibliographical references and index

The Mythology -- The marble man: Robert E. Lee -- THE FOUNDERS: Walt Disney; Coco Chanel; Entrepreneurialism and ego -- THE GENIUSES: Albert Einstein; Leonard Bernstein; The genius next door -- THE ZEALOTS: Maximilien Robespierre; Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi; The cyclic lure of conviction -- THE HEROES: Zheng He; Harriet Tubman; A human need for heroes -- THE POWER BROKERS: William Magear "Boss" Tweed; Margaret Thatcher; The halls of power -- THE REFORMERS: Martin Luther; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Miners, monks, and ministers -- Three myths -- Redefining leadership

Stan McChrystal served for thirty-four years in the US Army, rising from a second lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne Division to a four-star general, in command of all American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. During those years he worked with countless leaders, at every level of effectiveness, and pondered an ancient question: "What makes a leader great?" He came to realize that there is no simple answer. In this follow-up to his bestsellers My Share of the Task and Team of Teams, McChrystal profiles thirteen famous leaders from a wide range of eras and fields--from corporate CEOs to politicians and revolutionaries. He uses their stories to explore how leadership works in practice and to challenge the myths that complicate our thinking about this critical topic