A well-researched and applicable analysis of Muhammad’s leadership.
An acclaimed Islamic scholar offers lessons in leadership based on the example of Muhammad in this historical work.
As a professor of strategic thought at the National Defense College of the United Arab Emirates, the author or editor of more than a dozen books, and a former tutor to Prince William, Hayward is undeniably one of academia’s most visible Islamic thinkers. Though the author’s scholarly bona fides are on full display, as seen in the work’s full command of Islamic theology and the Arabic language as well as its rich endnotes, this concise volume eschews academic and religious jargon for an accessible narrative geared toward the general public, both Muslim and non-Muslim. First, the author dismantles a simplistic notion that equates Muhammad’s success solely to his personality traits, such as his piety, compassion, and courage, noting that successful leaders throughout history have included “deeply flawed, corrupt or wickedly cruel people.” Avoiding a “moral assessment as the primary basis” of its analysis, this book instead looks at Muhammad’s conceptualization of leadership and his practical actions that offer insights for today’s leaders on effective strategies. Muhammad, for example, had a “common touch,” like his enthusiasm for wrestling, that allowed him to “relate and appeal” to average people. This was complemented by a “consultative leadership” style that prioritized participatory decision-making. Perhaps most important for the prophet was his theological understanding that true leaders are not self-made but are chosen by God and should submit to his will. Moreover, the best leaders, according to Muhammad, serve as “shepherds,” rather than tyrants, who protect and guide those whom they are responsible for managing. Additional commentary is presented on Muhammad’s specific leadership strategies as a military tactician and diplomat. While the author’s use of the trendy language of modern self-help (such as its emphasis on “Maximising Human Potential,” “Strategic Vision,” and “Strategic Communication”) borders on kitsch, this volume is nevertheless a learned history of Islam and Muhammad that succeeds in its goal of providing contemporary and future managers with valuable insights from his life on successful leadership strategies.
A well-researched and applicable analysis of Muhammad’s leadership.Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-80011-989-5
Page Count: 164
Publisher: Claritas Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A horde-pleaser, well-written and full of surprises.
“The Mongols swept across the globe as conquerors,” writes the appreciative pop anthropologist-historian Weatherford (The History of Money, 1997, etc.), “but also as civilization’s unrivaled cultural carriers.”
No business-secrets fluffery here, though Weatherford does credit Genghis Khan and company for seeking “not merely to conquer the world but to impose a global order based on free trade, a single international law, and a universal alphabet with which to write all the languages of the world.” Not that the world was necessarily appreciative: the Mongols were renowned for, well, intemperance in war and peace, even if Weatherford does go rather lightly on the atrocities-and-butchery front. Instead, he accentuates the positive changes the Mongols, led by a visionary Genghis Khan, brought to the vast territories they conquered, if ever so briefly: the use of carpets, noodles, tea, playing cards, lemons, carrots, fabrics, and even a few words, including the cheer hurray. (Oh, yes, and flame throwers, too.) Why, then, has history remembered Genghis and his comrades so ungenerously? Whereas Geoffrey Chaucer considered him “so excellent a lord in all things,” Genghis is a byword for all that is savage and terrible; the word “Mongol” figures, thanks to the pseudoscientific racism of the 19th century, as the root of “mongoloid,” a condition attributed to genetic throwbacks to seed sown by Mongol invaders during their decades of ravaging Europe. (Bad science, that, but Dr. Down’s son himself argued that imbeciles “derived from an earlier form of the Mongol stock and should be considered more ‘pre-human, rather than human.’ ”) Weatherford’s lively analysis restores the Mongols’ reputation, and it takes some wonderful learned detours—into, for instance, the history of the so-called Secret History of the Mongols, which the Nazis raced to translate in the hope that it would help them conquer Russia, as only the Mongols had succeeded in doing.
A horde-pleaser, well-written and full of surprises.Pub Date: March 2, 2004
ISBN: 0-609-61062-7
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2003
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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