Soldier, Statesman, Peacemaker: Leadership Lessons from George C. Marshall

One of the greatest men of the Twentieth Century - and I know nothing about him? I ran across references to General George C. Marshall on numerous occasions and I wondered why I knew so little about him - so, I found this book that coupled the biography of this great man with his leadership principles and ordered it - wow, was I glad I did! I was completely surprised by the character of this incredible man who has unfortunately fallen thru the cracks of history. Uldrich does an incredible job of giving you a great feel not only for the accomplishments of this mountain of a man, but also for his personality and character - which, in the case of Marshall, are what made the man. Uldrich also does a great job ending each chapter by summarizing the leadership principle demonstrated by Marshall and then giving modern examples from the world of business and industry so that this book is an easy cross-over for business and industry leaders and not merely relegated to history buffs. Marshall seems to embody all the great character qualities that I associate with that generation we've dubbed the "greatest generation" and Uldrich has brought those qualities to the forefront in this book - selflessness, a sense of duty, integrity, candor, preparation, a love for learning and teaching others, fairness, vision and caring for others. This is an amazing read for almost everyone - from the student who needs to know more about great men and women who sacrificed for the greater good, to the leader in almost any capacity who wants to know how to inspire others and get them to perform at a higher level - all will learn something from this book. While the names of his contemporaries are more familiar to many of us - Eisenhower, Truman, Roosevelt, Bradley, and Patton - after reading this book you'll appreciate the fact that much more is owed to Marshall than to maybe the rest of that list combined!

As a retired US Army Infantry officer, I valued this book highly for two unique achievements by the author. First, Jack Uldrich taught me here what a great part of the values and aspirations that shaped my military career and continue to make me proud of it, arose from the work of this single great American. The nine principles fostered and exemplified by Marshall, and so well identified and expounded by Uldrich, continued to shape the Infantry School and the US Army long after Marshall's departure. The entire book could have been written to a different plan using current military examples from the second half of the twentieth century, and George Marshall's unique contribution might have been highlighted just as clearly. But Uldrich chose to apply Marshall's principles to the whole of our public life; this is his second unique achievement. If we seem to be living in a time of leadership failure everywhere we turn, this book is a ray of hope. Uldrich provides the diagnosis and points out where solutions can be found. In business, politics, government, academia, and non-profits, we do still find leaders who apply these principles. We may expect to find them succeeding, and we should honor them.

When men like Fred Smith, CEO of FEdEX; former U.S. Senator Warren Rudman; Bob Nardelli (CEO of The Home Depot) and Warren Bennis, all endorse a book it says something about that book. In this case, the book is Soldier, Statesman, and Peacemaker: The Leadership Lesson of George C. Marshall and it succinctly capture the greatness of George Marshall. It also ably demonstrates how much, as Colin Powell said, " we still have to learn from the man." I recommend this book for everyone--but I think it would make an especially good gift to young people just entering the world of business, finance, politics or the non-profit world. First, they don't know much about George Marshall--and they should--and secondly, and more importantly, it demonstrates how people can still maintain their integrity and achieve great things."

After reading Jack Uldrich's last leadership book about Lewis and Clark: Into the Unknown, I was very interested in his follow-up book about George Marshall. I didn't know much about Marshall before reading this book but after reading it, I fully agree with Uldrich's assessment that George Marshall is one of the greatest (and previously unsung) leaders of the 20th century. More importantly -- and what the author does so well -- is demonstrate how Marshall's life is still relevant today. His lessons are spot on. We need more leaders like George Marshall; leaders who are full of integrity, leaders who will candidly tell the public difficult truths, and leaders who will in turn train other leaders. George Marshall did all of these things and more; he helped win the Second World War, instituted the Marshall Plan, and won the Nobel Peace Prize. For all of these things, Marshall deserves to not only be remembered but emulated -- and that's why this book is a must read for anyone hoping to become a better leader.

I strongly urge managers, business executives, coaches--anyone in a leadership position--to read this book. Jack Uldrich has done the country a great service by bringing to light the extraordinary achievements of this tragically overlooked American--George C. Marshall. It's a great reminder of those leadership pricinples that all of us should stive for-especially in these times.