ABSTRACT
Th is is a book of stories. Most of the stories describe great leaders who accomplished amazing feats such as creating, preserving, or changing a nation or industry, or saving a group of people from exploitation or annihilation. A few of these stories describe bad leaders who brought destruction or death to scores of people. In retrospect, the disastrous eff ects of these bad leaders are no less astounding than the incredible accomplishments of the great leaders. Although the goals of these individuals were often quite diff erent, the leadership processes they used were frequently similar. In relating stories of these leaders, I have described who they were, what they accomplished, and how they did it. I have referred to existing leadership theories to help explain their leadership tactics and behavior as well as their eff ects on others. Th e use of these leadership theories will hopefully make the leaders’ impressive eff ects more understandable and will clarify how the theories relate to leadership in action.
