Legacy of Leadership: Lessons from Admiral Lord Nelson

Because his victories were so electrifying, numerous, historically influential, and so closely linked to personal leadership, examining the life of Admiral Lord Nelson provides a unique opportunity to better understand a timely subject, leadership.

Much has changed during the two centuries since Nelson's days. But if there are significant differences between Nelson's time and today, there are also provocative parallels, the most important of which is the plain fact that good leadership is still an essential element of any success.

The on-going questionof how to maintain the strength necessary to succeed requires something more than what Goeth called "ignorance in action."

Because he was so successful, Nelson's actions, particularly his tactics, have been analyzed intensively by the experts. Legacy of Leadership: Lessons from Admiral Lord Nelson takes an analytical look at the life of this hero and gets beyond what he did to the the why and how of his successes. It looks at many of the personal qualities that contributed to Nelson's achievements. They include mental courage, aggressiveness, deeply-held convictions, patriotism, knowledge in his field, and a genuine regard for those he commanded. These elements may not have made Nelson a perfect person, but without a doubt, they combine to form the character of a winner.

A free-lance writer who covers travel, military, and corporate subjects for several publications, Rear Admiral Joseph F. Callo, USNR (Ret) was named 1998 Author of the Year by Naval History Magazine published by the United States Naval Institute. He has held senior positions with major advertising agencies and has been a television producer for NBC-TV and PBS network programs. As an adjunct associate professor at St. Johns University, New York City, he taught advertising, marketing, and writing for mass media. RADM Callo resides in Kansas City with his wife, the former Sally Chin McElwreath, a senior corporate executive and a captain in the U.S. Naval Reserve.