On Guard

Written in a light, often humorous voice, this leadership guide uses storytelling to convey its main lessons. Its examples come from major events, including the attacks of September 11, Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Katrina, and the deployment of soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The author asks why capable leaders so often stumble. Why do they struggle to decide how to respond to severe weather? Why do they misjudge aggression and power struggles, and flounder during outbreaks such as SARS, Ebola and COVID-19? Why do business mergers fail, economies collapse, and civil unrest spread, when many of these outcomes could have been prevented? The book sets out answers to these questions.

According to the author, poor leadership often traces back to a few recurring failings: a lack of selflessness, little familiarity with history, a narrow set of tools, fear of making crucial decisions, poor listening, and an inability to connect lessons from unrelated situations. When these are present, chaos tends to follow. The book aims to equip readers to meet some of the biggest challenges of modern life.