The Leadership Genius of Julius Caesar: Modern Lessons from the Man Who Built an Empire

“Brilliantly crafted to draw leadership lessons from history, this is one of the finest leadership books I have read” (Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals).

Leaders are always trying to get better, but sometimes the best way to move forward is to look back. Philip Barlag shows us that Julius Caesar is one of the most compelling leaders of the past to study—a man whose approach was surprisingly modern and extraordinarily effective. Caesar proved by his words and deeds that he never considered himself above the average Roman citizen. He had an amazing ability to generate loyalty, to turn enemies into allies and allies into devoted followers.

Barlag uses dramatic and colorful incidents from Caesar's career—being held hostage by pirates, charging alone into enemy lines, pardoning people he knew wanted him dead—to illustrate what Caesar can teach leaders today. Central to Barlag's argument is the distinction between force and power. Caesar avoided using brute force on his followers. Instead, he won their loyalty through personal integrity and understanding his people's needs and motivations. Thousands of years after Caesar's death, this is still the kind of loyalty every leader wants to inspire.

Phillip Barlag is an executive director at World 50, which initiates and facilitates the most interesting and influential business conversations in the world. He has the enormous privilege of serving remarkable leaders from some of the most well-respected companies around the globe. His work explores the authentic nature of success and struggle in leadership. His writing has been published in Fast Company, MIT Sloan Management Review, and a number of influential business blogs. He lives in the Atlanta, Georgia, area with his wife and three children.