Elizabeth I, CEO: Strategic Lessons from the Leader Who Built an Empire

by Alan Axelrod Ph.D.

Overview

Few leadership titles have been written on the lives of women. Alan Axelrod, noted historian and business management expert, reveals how Elizabeth I overcame daunting obstacles to win intense loyalty and lead England to greatness.

The queen's long reign offers lessons on: developing a leadership attitude and image enhanced by personal dynamism; becoming an effective coach and mentor skilled at nurturing creativity; manipulating others—subtly and ethically—and knowing and anticipating the "enemy."

How did Elizabeth meet the challenges that faced her, managing not only to stay alive and keep her imperiled nation afloat, but also to win the intense loyalty of her people and lead England to greatness? Historians and biographers have offered many explanations. Elizabeth I, CEO takes a fresh view, exploring issues that are relevant to leaders—especially business leaders—of today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735203570
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	05/01/2002
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	74,996
Product dimensions:	5.48(w) x 8.12(h) x 0.81(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Alan Axelrod is a renowned historian and business writer. He was the co author of the New York Times bestseller What Every American Should Know About American History as well as the BusinessWeek bestsellers Patton on Leadership and Elizabeth I, CEO. He has written extensively on the Civil War.

Table of Contents

Introduction
An Elizabethan Prologue
One: "My Little Power": A Leader's First Lesson: Survival
Two: From Bastard Child to Virgin Queen: Creating a Leadership Image
Three: "Unto Her People": Combining the Common Touch with the Air of Leadership
Four: Keeping the Faith: Creating Common Cause without Tyranny
Five: Good Counsel: Building a Loyal Staff - and a Loyal Opposition
Six: New Worlds, New Markets: Growing the Enterprise and Crushing the Competition
Seven: "The Heart and Stomach of a King": Turning Crisis into Triumph
Eight: Rebellion: Holding onto the Power
Nine: Queen of the Bottom Line: Doing Business without Excuses
Ten: Winning: A Great Leader Assesses Herself
Appendix: An Elizabethan Chronicle: A Timeline Study of the Age of Elizabeth
Recommended Reading: The Sources of Elizabeth I, CEO
Index

Editorial Reviews

Bookseller Reviews

Alan Axelrod's portrait of multinational tycoon Queen Elizabeth I doesn't just transplant the Virgin Queen in to a leadership environment we can understand; it revitalizes her. Even Elizabethan enthusiasts will benefit from his delineation of the original Q.E. 1 as an sixteenth century master of the Information Age. And we suspect that many post-modern CEO's can learn something from Elizabeth's adroit handling of her Councilors.

Barnes & Noble, Inc.

If you are a history buff, you will be a little disappointed by this book's simplicity, but curiously satisfied by the unique way Axelrod offers up the character of arguably the most influential woman in the Western world.

Hardware Merchandiser

...worth reading and provides some real insights.

CNNfn.com

Elizabeth I was a most remarkable woman and a fitting leadership model even today, as Axelrod makes abundantly clear in this fresh and readable new appraisal of her life.

BookPage

You will find this a fascinating book for the ten leadership lessons the author conveys, based on her {Elizabeth's} life. —Bookviews

Alan Caruba

Who could possibly offer better leadership lessons than one of the most powerful women in history? Axelrod (Patton on Leadership, etc.) details more than 100 leadership principles based on Queen Elizabeth's style of statesmanship. Having assumed the throne during a time of economic and religious turmoil, she helped rebuild England and strengthen its position in the world during her four decades as queen. Some of the lessons drawn from her reign are simplistic and obvious, such as "Knowledge Really Is Power," based on the queen's voracious appetite for reading and her study of Greek and Latin. "Keep a Clear Head and an Even Keel" derives from the monarch's ability to hold her temper; during difficult negotiations, she would occasionally leave the room to walk outside. Other lessons deserve more attention from today's executives, such as "Make a Spectacle of Yourself": Axelrod avers that a leader must motivate employees with more than the bottom line, and that theatrical gestures can be an effective source of inspiration. In a similar vein, Axelrod exhorts, "Be a Great Communicator": "An effective leader thinks about what he says, carefully crafting each utterance of any significance." While history fans will enjoy the brief portraits of Queen Elizabeth's governing style in various circumstances, those seeking penetrating management insights may be disappointed that not every lesson applies equally to today's corporate leaders. $200,000 ad/promo; 3-city tour; 20-city radio satellite tour. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly