quote:

Wow! The return of "blood and guts" training
or the name it travels under performance counsulting. Why not try the following:
anything by B.H. Liddel-Hart, Ford Maddox Ford, Mcdonald, AJP Taylor, Kagen, Vic Hanson, Eisenhower, Robert E. Lee, JC "Gaul is divided into three parts". Why not study some of WWT II
industry titians and their contributions to training and change, stress et al.

Nero
"Why not" indeed? All worthy reads and subjects for learning more about leadership as a general subject.

Let's now consider the "why." I recommended Dixon's work (with historical examples derived from the work of many of the authors you list) because it specifically compares "authoritarian" and "autocratic" leadership practices. This I thought would interest the original poster, who asked about adapting autocratic leadership practices (or adopting other practices) to meet new circumstances. I therefore propose that Dixon's work has relevant application beyond the realm of "blood and guts."

Scott G. Welch

Scott, I understand. Your explanation still does not take away from the sources offered.

Nero

quote:

Your explanation still does not take away from the sources offered.

Nero

Nor was it intended to do so--hence the "worthy reads and subjects" remark. I'm reading Grant's Memoirs just now. A model of clarity, honesty and self-deprecation many authors of similar works would do well to emulate IMO. So far, he hasn't had much to say about adapting leadership practices.

Which work within the scope of authors or subjects you've offered specifically addresses the needs raised by JR?

Inquiring minds await your wisdom.

Cheers

Scott G. Welch

Thank You for allowing me to revisit a fruitful area. The selections should not be considered exhaustive.
JR as well as the rest of us can learn from the following: Namely, B.H. Liddle-Hart and Mcdonald who went beyond the conventional wisdom of the time and had the intellectual foresight to craft a vision of what the future of mechanized warfare would look like, the Nazis called it blitzkreig. Further, the rigorous training of airmen advocated and demonstrated successfully by the ascerbic
Claire Chennault. General Dwight Eisenhower who was recognized as the best trainer in the US Army, displayed and was known for his character, humanity, trust, clear communication and interpersonal skills which were instrumental
in keeeping the bickering allies together as a team and focused on their real goal the defeat of the Nazis. John Keegan, Victor Hansen, AJP Taylor (like management historians) give us a chance to review and learn from the past to improve our own strategic and operational thinking. They ask questions like What is leadership? to stimulate thinking. JC and Robert E. Lee give us a realistic picture of what its like to react to situations in a rapidly and often profoundly changing environment and above all make it work. Peter Drucker frequently in his early works cite
George Marshall's ability to select future leaders and quotes Von Schefflin on planning.

As in all applications of another reality we can learn much if we are mindful of the nuances.

Very Happy Orchids

Nero

quote:

As in all applications of another reality we can learn much if we are mindful of the nuances.

Here I think we get to a relevant comparison between "autocratic" and "authoritarian" leadership styles and practices. The archetypal leaders Nero mentioned exhibited, to varying degrees, a preference for the former style, yet this did not undermine their effectiveness.

In contrast, Dixon concluded that a rigid "authoritarian" style could and did contribute to incompetent leadership performance. I would suggest that Nero's exemplars shared a common trait. While they may have been "autocratic", they were perhaps better attuned to interpersonal relationships, more flexible, and more likely to challenge authority successfully than were their "authoritarian" contemporaries.

I mention Dixon's work because it offers what is to me a usefully "nuanced" distinction between the two styles, which are often, and I think erroneously, used interchangeably.

Regards

Scott G. Welch