It’s hard to imagine recasting Jesus Christ or Attila the Hun as management consultants. Even putting the two together in a sentence jangles. However, that is what’s being done. There are a number of best selling management books about historical and recent heroes who embodied value based leadership including Lao Tzu, Sitting Bull, and Jesus.
Other books have focused on recent leaders, managers or investors as the metaphor for success, including Warren Buffet, the investor; Jack Welch of GE; and Lee Iacocca of Chrysler. For example, one of the books, the Genius of Sitting Bull draws parallels between Sitting Bull’s leadership abilities and contemporary management. The author compares the healthcare industry to the disparate, disorganized tribes that Sitting Bull united into a cohesive fighting and working unit. In much the same way, companies use leadership metaphors and examples of teams and individuals that succeeded beyond anyone’s expectations.