Power Up: Leadership, Character, and Conflict Beyond the Superhero Multiverse

by Steven Leonard (Editor), Jonathan Klug (Editor), Kelsey Cipolla (Editor), Jon Niccum (Editor), Jon Niccum (Foreword by)

Overview

"...offers an eclectic menu of treats that serve up a new and fresh look at a genre we rarely connect directly to the demands of the real world, much less plumb for key lessons about leadership." — ARMY Magazine In the past decade, heroes and villains spawned from the pages of comic books have upended popular culture and revolutionized the entertainment industry. The narratives weave together a multitude of complementary and sometimes competing storylines, spun across decades, generations, and mediums, forming a complex tapestry that simultaneously captures the imagination and captivates the mind. These stories reveal our own vulnerabilities while casting an ideal to which we aspire. They pull at our deepest emotions and push us to the cusp of reality, and bring us back to Earth with a renewed hope of a better tomorrow. They are an endless source of powerful metaphors to help us learn and develop, then be the best versions of ourselves possible. Through the lens of the superhero genre, each chapter explores contemporary challenges in leadership, team building, and conflict, while emphasizing the role of humanity and human nature in our own world. Contributors: Ian Boley, Jo Brick, Mitch Brian, Max Brooks, Mike Burke, Kelsey Cipolla, Amelia Cohen-Levy, Mick Cook, Jeff Drake, Clara Engle, Candice Frost, Ronald Granieri, PhD, Heather S, Gregg, PhD, James Groves, Geoff Harkness, PhD, Theresa Hitchens, Kayla Hodges, Cory Hollon, PhD, Joshua Huminski, Erica Iverson, Alyssa Jones, Mathew Klickstein, Jonathan Klug, Matt Lancaster, Steve Leonard, Karolyn McEwen, Eric Muirhead, Jon Niccum, Kera Rolsen, Mick Ryan, Julie Still, Patrick Sullivan, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, Dan Ward, Janeen Webb, PhD.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781636243405
Publisher:	Casemate Publishers
Publication date:	10/15/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Steve Leonard is an award-winning faculty member at the University of Kansas School of Business, where he serves as Senior Assistant Dean and Professor of the Practice. A former senior military strategist and the creative force behind the defense microblog, Doctrine Man!!, he is a career writer and speaker with a passion for developing and mentoring the next generation of thought leaders. He is a senior fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point; the co-founder of the national security blog, Divergent Options; co-founder of the Military Writers Guild; and a member of the editorial review board of the Arthur D. Simons Center’s Interagency Journal. He is the author, co-author, or editor of several books, including To Boldly Go (Casemate, 2021), Why We Write (Middle West Press, 2019), Winning Westeros (Potomac Books, 2019), and Strategy Strikes Back (Potomac Books, 2018).

Table of Contents

Foreword by Jon Niccum
Introduction

PART I: GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
1 Boys Will Be Boys by Kayla Hodges
2 Call it, Captain by Cory S. Hollon
3 The Rise of a Reluctant Leader by Mick Ryan
4 The Unexpected Hero by Kari McEwen
5 The Command of Masks by Ronald J. Granieri
6 Ethical Excellence Through Decisive Dimness by Jeff Drake

PART II: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!
7 Blood in the Inkwell by Geoff Harkness
8 We Could Be (Super)Heroes by Heather S. Gregg
9 When Being a Superhero Ain’t So Super by Mathew Klickstein
10 Lumberjanes and Team Building the Hardcore Lady-Type Way by Julie M. Still
11 There Was an Idea by Amelia Cohen-Levy
12 The Ordinary, Everyday Superhero by Mike Burke

PART III: GREEN LANTERN’S LIGHT!
13 The River of Truth by Matt Lancaster
14 They Only Lack the Light to Show the Way by Eric Muirhead
15 Could the Sokovia Accords Save the (Real) World? by Theresa Hitchens
16 A Fitting End for His Kind by Jo Brick
17 Injustice for All by James Groves
18 It’s Not Just Black and White by Alyssa Jones
19 Black Vibranium in the Hour of Chaos by Aaron Rahsaan Thomas

PART IV: IT’S CLOBBERIN’ TIME!
20 Who Runs the World? Squirrels! by Kelsey Cipolla
21 Your Cape and Cowl, Mr. Bond? by Mitch Brian
22 Trick or Deceit by Erica Iverson
23 Unbeatable by Dan Ward
24 The Veidt Method by Ian Boley

PART V: TO THE BATCAVE!
25 I’ve Come to Save the World by Kera Rolsen
26 Your Ancestors Called It Magic, But You Call It Science by Jonathan Klug
27 Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys? by Candice E. Frost
28 To the Warrior, Their Arms by Mick Cook
29 We Need to Be Put in Check by Clara Engle

PART VI: KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!
30 The Caped Crusader and the Road to Radicalism by Max Brooks
31 Where Monsters Dwell by Steven Leonard
32 Marvel Zombies by Jon Niccum
33 Strip Mining the Superhero Archetype by Janeen Webb
34 The New Gods by Patrick Sullivan
35 ХАЙЛЬ ГИДРА! by Joshua C. Huminski

Contributors

Editorial Reviews

"Power Up is a captivating book that merges the world of superheroes with leadership and character development. By examining the traits of beloved superheroes, the remarkable group of authors offer valuable insights on resilience, integrity, empathy, and accountability. This book empowers readers to unleash their inner hero and cultivate essential leadership qualities for the ever-changing world."

Mike Erwin

Power Up is a terrific example of the dynamic creativity of military professionalism in the West, as well as its fundamental anchoring in our dominant cultural narratives. These essays – using superhero stories and attributes as their guiding lights – prove why to bet your money on Western militaries winning wars (as well as what nerds all these authors are!)."

Kori Schake

"A superhero does not have to worry about the same limitations be they bureaucracy, human endurance, or the laws of physics. However, back in the reality-verse readers can use Power Up to draw on superheroes’ lessons of leadership, character, and team building to form empowering institutions for very average and frail, but very real, humans to do great things."

Diplomatic Courier

"...this is an engaging and fascinating read, with something for everyone. It offers an eclectic menu of treats that serve up a new and fresh look at a genre we rarely connect directly to the demands of the real world, much less plumb for key lessons about leadership. It should be consumed like a buffet meal, with the reader picking and choosing among the stories and characters that resonate."

ARMY Magazine

"Power Up accomplishes what the best superhero stories set out to do: it both entertains and makes you think."

P.W. Singer

In Power Up, one of the contributing authors tells us that ‘In our own way, we’re all Batman.’ And more than we often realize, it’s true. This collection of thoughtful essays shows us how the popular heroes of comic books and movies are actually culture carriers of leadership and values. Where generations once quoted Shakespeare’s Henry V, today we echo the words of cape-wearing crime fighters, but the lessons are no less powerful or relevant.

General Stanley McChrystal

A talent-packed anthology takes a thoughtful and thoroughly entertaining look at the role of superheroes in our culture. A true pleasure to read. Highly recommended!

Ande Parks

"...a phenomenally entertaining-yet-informative read, and will be enjoyed by those looking to learn about leadership, organisational ethics, trust building in military and international relations, among many other important topics. "

Encyclopedia Geopolitica

"...an outstanding anthology of relevant and timely essays written by a collection of some of the brightest military-connected writers of the post-9/11 generation. By examining military leadership through the lens of the superhero genre, this collection provides a fun and insightful vehicle to explore important topics through popular stories to which a broad audience can relate."

Aether: A Journal of Strategic Airpower & Spacepower

"...there is ample breadth in the book for those who have not seen the latest Marvel cinematic universe release to find substance and enjoyment. Different superhero examples cover the spectrum from the big screen to the small screen to the comics panel to general pop culture."

Military Review