#487: Leadership Lessons From the 3 Greatest Ancient Commanders

The Art of Manliness

Society & Culture, Education, Philosophy

4.7 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 4 March 2019

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Alexander the Great, Hannibal, and Julius Caesar. Three of the greatest generals of antiquity. But what made them great and what can we learn from them about leadership? My guest explores those questions in his book Masters of Command: Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, and the Genius of Leadership. His name is Barry Strauss and he’s a classicist and military historian at Cornell University. Today on the show we discuss the traits all three of these men possessed that made them such military geniuses, including audacity, ambition, and a little luck. Barry walks us through the five stages of war that each of these legendary commanders navigated and where each thrived and floundered. Barry then makes the case that while Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar each experienced success in the short-term, in the long run all of them failed to achieve their ultimate aims because they became victims of their own success. We end our conversation discussing what these commanders' shortcomings can teach modern leaders in any kind of field, and whether it’s possible to be both a bold visionary leader and a great manager. Get the show notes at aom.is/mastersofcommand.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Bret McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast.
0:18.9	Alexander the Great, Hannibal, and Julius Caesar.
0:22.0	Three of the greatest generals of antiquity, but what made them great and what can we learn
0:25.9	from them about leadership?
0:26.9	My guest explores these questions in his book, Masters of Command, Alexander, Hannibal,
0:31.4	Caesar, and the Genius of Leadership.
0:33.0	His name is Barry Strauss, and he's a class assistant in military history at Cornell
0:36.4	University.
0:37.4	Today on the show we discuss the traits all three of these men possess that made them such
0:40.8	great military leaders, including audacity, ambition, and a little bit of luck.
0:45.7	Barry walks us through the five stages of war that each of these legendary commanders
0:48.8	navigated and were each thrived and floundered.
0:51.3	Barry then makes the case that while Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar each experience success in
0:54.9	the short term in the long run.
0:56.6	All of them failed to achieve their ultimate aims because they became victims of their own
1:00.1	success.
1:01.1	We in our conversation discuss in what these commanders, shortcomings can teach modern leaders
1:04.4	in any kind of field, and whether it's possible to be both a bold visionary leader and a great
1:08.7	manager.
1:09.7	After the show's over, check out our show notes at aum.ias slash Masters of Command.
1:22.8	Barry Strauss, welcome to the show.
1:25.2	Thank you, great to be here.
	...

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