Summary

Forbes, former presidential candidate and CEO of Forbes, Inc., and classics professor Prevas team up to tell the riveting story of the parallel and powerful lessons that the great leaders of the classical world have for today's leaders in business and politics.

Author Biography

STEVE FORBES is chairman, CEO, and editor in chief of Forbes Media and an internationally recognized and respected authority in the worlds of finance and corporate leadership. He campaigned twice for the Republican nomination for the presidency. Among his previous books are Flat Tax Revolution: Using a Postcard to Abolish the IRS and A New Birth of Freedom.

JOHN PREVAS is an author, an adventurer, and a teacher of classics who has climbed the Alps in search of Hannibal’s pass and followed Alexander’s footsteps through the “terrorist belt” of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. His previous books include Hannibal Crosses the Alps, Xenophon’s March, and Envy of the Gods.

Foreword	p. ix
Introduction: How the Past Can Guide Your Future	p. 1

The Persian Empire: Cultural Diversity, Self-Determination, and the Art of Making Money	p. 13
Cyrus The Great: Lessons in Tolerance and Inclusion	p. 22

Classical Greece: Do Thinkers Make Good Leaders?	p. 51
Xenophon: Building Consensus and Finding Direction	p. 64
Alexander The Great: The Price of Arrogance	p. 100

Carthage: A Businessman's Paradise	p. 143
Hannibal Of Carthage: Innovation	p. 152

The Roman Republic: The Ultimate Multinational	p. 193
Julius Caesar: Ego and Ambition	p. 212
Augustus: Stability and Moderation	p. 252
Epilogue	p. 281
Acknowledgments	p. 289
Index	p. 291
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

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Excerpts

INTRODUCTION

How the Past Can Guide Your Future

A couple of years ago while browsing in a local bookstore in Naples, Florida, for something interesting to read, I* came acrossHannibal Crosses the Alpsby John Prevas. It’s the story of the ancient Carthaginian commander who accomplished something that neither his allies nor his enemies thought possible: He led an army, including horses and elephants, over the Alps in winter and then defeated his Roman adversaries in their own backyard.

As I reviewed the book inForbesmagazine, two thoughts occurred to me about leadership: (1) Anyone who accomplishes something great, something unique, whether in business or in politics, often does so by defying the conventional thinking of his time. (2) Even though more than two thousand years have passed since Hannibal crossed those Alps, the elements of what it takes to be a successful leader have not changed. They are simple and obvious, or should be: motivating those who follow you to share your vision; inspiring through example; a sense of duty and responsibility to those who trust and depend on you; the capacity to see a problem and the skill to fix it; developing and maintaining a proper perspective on yourself in the face of success or adversity; setting and achieving goals; understanding people’s limits and knowing when to drive hard and when to ease up on both subordinates and competitors.

The ancient Greeks tell us that nothing is more important than good leadership for the harmonious functioning of society and nothing hurts more than the lack of it. Our times cry out for leadership— political, financial, and even ethical. Many people are asking today, “Where have the good leaders gone?” In a recentNew York Timescolumn about global gridlock entitled “Missing Dean Acheson,” David Brooks posed this question, noting that Americans are about to enter their nineteenth consecutive year of Truman envy. Ever since the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Brooks observed, people have yearned for a return to a time when leaders such as Harry Truman and George C. Marshall were able to create successful, forward- looking global institutions and policies to confront the challenges that faced America at the end of the Second World War. Brooks asked, “Why can’t we rally that same kind of international cooperation to solve our current economic crisis, confront terrorism, slow down global warming, limit nuclear proliferation and a host of other pressing problems today?”

Ours is a complex and stressful time. We face the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s and foreign policy issues that if left unsolved could bring us to the brink of nuclear war. Rising new powers in the world today, such as China and India, are changing traditional Western ways of conducting worldwide politics and business. Old powers such as Rus sia and the members of the relativelynew Europe an Union are seeking to advance their influence in the international
community. Responses to these developments require effective leadership. The financial crisis and America’s recent foreign policy setbacks can be traced directly to a failure of leadership. But where do we turn for leadership, and what do we want in our leaders? History is one place to look. The past is filled with leaders who possessed extraordinary capabilities, enjoyed tremendous success, and directed societies that experienced problems similar to our own. Their successes and failures as leaders can help us develop a valuable perspective as we grapple with our problems and try to prepare for the future. Similarities between those who ruled the empires of the ancient world and many of today’s corporate and po liti cal leaders are remarkable. Times and circumstances may change, but the principles of sound leadership do not.

Leaders in today’s corporate world

Excerpted from Power Ambition Glory: The Stunning Parallels Between Great Leaders of the Ancient World and Today... and the Lessons You Can Learn by John Prevas, Steve Forbes
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