Reagan on Leadership: Executive Lessons from the Great Communicator

Rating:
Summary: The Power of Vision-Based Leadership
Review: A diversely experienced leader and manager with an easy-to-read writing style focused on a great, recent example of truly effective executive leadership and decided to share what he learned. The result was a truly outstanding book of leadership thoughts, concepts, principles, and analysis complemented by exemplary vignettes and anecdotes from the life of arguably the most respected and admired president in United States history. Do not miss this book if you are a student or practitioner of leadership.

The book is a four part study of Reagan's leadership effectiveness: the critical elements of his vision-based leadership approach, his mutually supporting leadership and management styles, the skills that made him the "Great Communicator," and the personal character that transformed his beliefs and vision into powerful realities. At the end of each chapter is a list of summarizing leadership lessons and principles. Strock's thorough research and insightful analysis made each list pregnant with meaning and importance.

Strock made a very strong case that Reagan's brilliance as a leader was his gift of a compelling, five-part vision (family, work, neighborhood, freedom, and peace) and the integrity of his consistent and disciplined actions relative to his vision. Strock also discussed some Reagan leadership flaws and failures-not many, but enough to appear honest and balanced.

Strock's Reagan was an authentic man of vision, purpose, and character. Read this book and you will understand how Reagan was willing and able to communicate great thoughts with authority as the leader of the free world, and why his vision for America was believed in by so many people here at home and around the world:

"Ours is the land of the free because it is the home of the brave. America's future will always be great because our nation will always be strong. And our nation will be strong because our people will be free. And our people will be free because we will be united, one people under God, with liberty and justice for all."

Rating:
Summary: The Power of Vision-Based Leadership
Review: A diversely experienced leader and manager with an easy-to-read writing style focused on a great, recent example of truly effective executive leadership and decided to share what he learned. The result was a truly outstanding book of leadership thoughts, concepts, principles, and analysis complemented by exemplary vignettes and anecdotes from the life of arguably the most respected and admired president in United States history. Do not miss this book if you are a student or practitioner of leadership.

The book is a four part study of Reagan's leadership effectiveness: the critical elements of his vision-based leadership approach, his mutually supporting leadership and management styles, the skills that made him the "Great Communicator," and the personal character that transformed his beliefs and vision into powerful realities. At the end of each chapter is a list of summarizing leadership lessons and principles. Strock's thorough research and insightful analysis made each list pregnant with meaning and importance.

Strock made a very strong case that Reagan's brilliance as a leader was his gift of a compelling, five-part vision (family, work, neighborhood, freedom, and peace) and the integrity of his consistent and disciplined actions relative to his vision. Strock also discussed some Reagan leadership flaws and failures-not many, but enough to appear honest and balanced.

Strock's Reagan was an authentic man of vision, purpose, and character. Read this book and you will understand how Reagan was willing and able to communicate great thoughts with authority as the leader of the free world, and why his vision for America was believed in by so many people here at home and around the world:

"Ours is the land of the free because it is the home of the brave. America's future will always be great because our nation will always be strong. And our nation will be strong because our people will be free. And our people will be free because we will be united, one people under God, with liberty and justice for all."

Rating:
Summary: A magnificent book on the leadership qualities of Reagan.
Review: Jim Strock does a wonderful job depicting the magnificent leadership qualities of President Reagan. Those of us who were honored to work with President Reagan saw these qualities in his life and in his executive management style--but it took Jim Strock to really put them all down for us with wit, wisdom and warmth. Jim's organizational style depicting these qualities makes this book an interesting read---and brought back lots of vivid and wonderful memories for me. It truly was an honor to be able to learn some of the lessons of the great communicator in person. Jim Strock honors the President and all of us with his dedication to detail and his depiction of the day to day style and substance of this great leader. Thanks to Jim Strock now others will have the benefit of also learning even more from the great communicator. Thanks, Jim, for the memories.... Dr. Linda Combs, PAS

Rating:
Summary: NICE PLATITUDES....
Review: Let's begin accepting the obvious: I'm a foreigner, I'm not part of the system of politics of USA and I'll never be. And let's make the not-so-obvious plainly visible: I'm a real admirer of USA, and don't buy ideas like imperialism and the like and I think they have some of the greatest leaders of all times. Being Reagan himself one of them and one of my greatest heroes since long time ago. I've got a major in mass comunication and I like to study things like messages, followers, leadershp and so on.

And it's in this sense this book became a disappointment. It so... shallow, I think it's the word best suited for it. The author is a Washington insider but not in the higher ranks. He didn't interview (not for the real thing, at least) the president, and he doesn't have a real academic background in topics like the title of the book promised: leadership and comunication. What did he wrote? Well, he knows some things about the life of Reagan, but of course he knows the best the period of the presidency. So he took a set of events, applied to them his method and ideas of leadership and then concludes "That's why Reagan was such a great leader". Come on... the air controller' strike, the Tripoli bombing, the debate with Bush Sr. about "voodoo econonics", everything was reduced to a man with a mesianic message, total control over his values and the values of the cabinet and total rapport with the familiar values of the american people. In this book, Reagan didn't have a single problem, even the smaller one; he didn't hesitate for once; he was the cheerished of the gods and EVERY scandal in his administration (just for the record: going to Nicaragua challenging the express will of the congress; the s&L scandal, which american people still are paying and will do for the next generations; the raise of the junk bonds of Wall Street; the bargaining with terrorists...) is minimized or dismissed explaining how it was impossible for Reagan to have known about those ugly things.

And I closed the book saying to myself: "One of three; one, Reagan was the son of Apollo or Zeus, Captain Marvel himself and being that is not an example for anybody; or two, maybe Reagan INDEED hesitated and wasn't sure all the time about every single decision but the guy who wrote the book couldn't know that because not everybody speak to a president, so he did what he could: he took the newspapers of the time and wonder what should've HE do had he been the president; or three, maybe it's just the real biography and thoughts of Reagan haven't been written yet...

If you want to learn about some lessons of leadership form some greatest men of America, "Lincoln on leadership" or "The founding fathers on leadership" are better options. Not masterpieces, but at least theyhave the advantage of some SERIOUS historic perpective.

Rating:
Summary: Witty, informative, accurate and very readable
Review: No doubt Ronald Reagan is, and will always be remembered as the Great Communicator. This is captured in Mr. Strock's very readable tribute to Reagan and guide for all of us who would like to learn from one of America's greatest contemporary leaders. As actor, labor leader, Governor and President, Ronald Reagan always had the style and unique nack for garnering and holding our attention. That wonderful ability to lead and gain our confidence is a trait that, through Mr. Strock's book, is shared for all of us, whether we be in government, business or education. A delightful little book that lends itself to ready reference over and over again.

Rating:
Summary: A magnificent book on the leadership qualities of Reagan.
Review: Not only does this excellent book capture the leadership style of President Reagan, but also identifies many aspects of how to achieve a leadership role in one's professional and personal life.

This well-written book is a must for individuals interested in learning and studying the strategies of one of our countries greatest and most colorful presidents. I recommend this wonderful book as part of the Government and Political Science classes in our junior high and high schools. I also recommend that this book be included in our public libraries -- it is an excellent source for individuals seeking an informative book report.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, How Reagan Lead
Review: President Reagan has always been a hero of mine. At the age of 8, I became intoxicated with politics in large part because of the 1980 Presidental campaign. As a Canadian, I watched this incredible leader from a little farther away then an Amercian, but came away impressed. I therefore began to read or watch anything I could find on President Reagan. The problem was all the information I gathered failed to answer the key question for me: how did Reagan lead? Much material is available on what he did, but I never received the practical tools I was looking for. Reagan on Leadership clearly and concisely describes his techniques. Strock reached deep into Reagan's tool box and paved the road for how I can apply these tools to my life. It is the only book or article I have read that answers the question I have asking about Reagan for years: not what did he do, but rather how did he it.

Rating:
Summary: His Style and His Methods Nicely Summarized
Review: Some people thought Reagan was just an actor. But when you read this book you will be introduced to and receive a new appreciation of the man and his management abilities, independent of any differences over his politics.

This is a short but powerful book on the philosophy and management style of Reagan (leadership, management, communications). Here are the keys, i.e.:
- have a vision
- be decisive
- negotiate from strength
- use subordinates as much as possible
- priority 1 is first
- know your audience
- laugh off criticism
- accept failures and move on
and can I add this... he always tried to get a good sleep the night before!! I think the latter is what we all remember.

In any case his (real) management style was in sharp contrast to Jimmy Carter who worked himself crazy with all the details including the Whitehouse Tennis Schedule.

Great book, a keeper independent of one's exact political philosophy. Read this and you will be a step ahead.

Jack in Toronto

Rating:
Summary: Finally, How Reagan Lead
Review: This book captured the very essence of the Reagan presidency. By replaying the significant events that occurred and then providing detailed information on what went on to carefully orchestrate those events, James Strock has defined a presidency that laid the foundation for economic growth and peace for generations to come. The reader is guided through the many lessons that President Reagan taught us about leadership, values and life in general. Although he is called "The Great Communicator", it is evident that he was "The Great Assimilator". His ability to learn throughout life and apply the lessons learned is powerful. Business leaders can learn and grow from reading this book.