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The Leadership Genius of George W. Bush: 10 Commonsense Lessons from the Commander in Chief

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Praise for The LEADERSHIP GENIUS of GEORGE W. BUSH "Finally, a fun-to-read book about George W. Bush that details the secrets to his success!"
— Ken Blanchard , coauthor, The One Minute Manager "Political journalists love graduate student intelligence, the ability to make clever allusions in seminars, and in 1999—2000, they hassled George W. Bush for not having it. They didn’t realize what this book succinctly that the President has something far more important–CEO intelligence, the ability to ask tough questions, garner essential information, and make discerning decisions. Such intelligence can be fostered and honed, and this book shows how."
— Dr. Marvin Olasky , Professor of Journalism, The University of Texas at Austin, and Editor in Chief, Worl d magazine "Put aside politics and read this book right away for its true wisdom and concrete advice about leadership. The authors have done a brilliant job explaining the leadership style that makes this President so effective. Any leader can learn from the philosophy, strategy, and tactics in this book."
— Bruce Tulgan , founder of RainmakerThinking, Inc., and author, Winning the Talent Wars "Thompson and Ware make a compelling case that this President who ‘loves to be underestimated’ has a highly effective approach to leadership that is humane, direct, and at times, truly transformational. Many in business today could benefit from reading this book."
— David M. Abshire , President, Center for the Study of the Presidency

316 pages, Paperback

First published December 27, 2002

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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for Graham.
86 reviews22 followers
March 3, 2008
For the purpose of full disclosure, I must say that I only read a couple pages of this book (by that I mean a few pages online...and very quickly...eh, skimmed a few lines). Believe me, it was enough for me to write this review. What an ass rocket of a book. You think George W. is a moron? Wait until you read this little gem. You'll discover that the authors are even 'more dumber'. Apparently he has the mind of some kind of brilliant CEO that no one can understand. That is where his genius is they claim, cause see, well it is complicated, but basically he is so misunderestimated that it makes him a good leader and the such.

I guess if you count leading an entire planet into the Apocalypse as genius, well then yes, I agree with the authors.

Leadership genius indeed.
19 reviews
November 10, 2020
What are your principles of leadership ? What are your priorities? Family, Faith and Integrity?
1,625 reviews
May 20, 2023
Some good quotes and snippets of insight. Includes his schedule.
Profile Image for Jackie.
1,524 reviews
June 27, 2015
The subtitle does not count the lessons on leadership explored in this book. Besides examples of the ten general leadership approaches by Bush, the authors quote many other leadership books and psychologists. They also add examples from other companies and leaders. Each chapter lists tips for the reading leader to apply in her life.

One criticism is that the authors use secondary sources to write the book. They never worked as part of Bush's team. They used the Bush name as a marketing tool.

This book is one to use for references, in daily life, and explore further.

The chapters:
1. What do you stand for? Identify core values
2. Where are you going? Inspire through vision
3. Can I trust you? Become credible
4. Bring in the right people. Don't be afraid to hire people smarter than you [especially in their field or specialty]
5. Bring in the right people. Leave 'em alone
6. Encourage collaboration. Build alliances
7. Give it to them straight. Communicate
8. If it's noon, I must be jogging. Be disciplined and focus
9. Intuitive wisdom. Trust your instincts
10. Getting results. Hold people accountable
33 reviews1 follower
April 8, 2008
I really enjoyed learning more about our current president, his values and some of the things that shaped the man who he has become. This book is a practical guide to develop a working mission statement for family, person, or business.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews