Time to Lead

“Meticulously researched. Steenkamp shows what today’s managers can learn from past great historical leaders. Each case study is organized around a particular dilemma, and is interesting in its own right. The book is easy to read, yet provides incisive leadership principles that have withstood the test of time. The self-assessment questions and leadership tests make the book highly actionable. A must-read for any (aspiring) corporate and nonprofit leader.”

—Hermann Simon, Founder and honorary chairman, Simon-Kucher & Partners Strategy and Marketing Consultants, management guru, 2019 Thinkers50 Hall of Fame inductee, and author of Hidden Champions

“Steenkamp has written a remarkable book on leadership that I strongly recommend to all those who might think ‘leadership’ is something mythical and hence ‘too big to study.’ Drawing on his well-renowned knowledge of marketing, he engages in a truly interdisciplinary approach that unveils, on the basis of sixteen cases of impressive leaders, the relevant dimensions of the phenomenon of leaders and leadership. This already makes reading this book worthwhile. On top of that, the book proposes a strong and convincing set of self-assessment tools that can help (aspirant) leaders to reflect on their own style of leadership. And it even helps them to make a decision when their time is over . . . ”

—Wim van de Donk, King’s Commissioner (governor) of the State of North Brabant, The Netherlands, Extraordinary Professor of Public Administration, Tilburg University, and former president, European Group for Public Administration

“A masterwork of leadership across history and its application for today’s leaders. J. B. Steenkamp takes us through history’s most decisive leaders and events, identifies the essence of their leadership approach, and expertly ties it to well-established, contemporary leadership methods. Most important, Steenkamp provides us with a framework and method to assess our own leadership and reach our leader development goals. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn and apply the lessons of history’s leaders to their own leader growth.”

—Colonel Todd Woodruff, Former Director of Leadership and Management Studies, the United States Military Academy at West Point

“Ancient models of leadership are an old story, beginning with ancients like Plutarch, but Steenkamp is the first to rival Plutarch by comparing ancient and modern models through the use of psychological categories drawn from Isaiah Berlin and others. Steenkamp’s handling of Alexander the Great is characteristic: The conqueror who wished to become a god proves to be a shrewd evangelist for his own cult. The author’s modern parallel to Alexander is apt: Charles de Gaulle, who sold the greatness of France to the French, but as a way of selling himself.”

—Fred Naiden, Professor of history at the University of North Carolina and author of Soldier, Priest, and God: A Life of Alexander the Great

“Steenkamp explores the essence of leadership, all of which I have seen displayed in my thirty years in the pharma industry, for good and for bad. My career highs and lows were closely associated with the experiences of a leader that either inspired me or drove me to the depths of despair. Steenkamp reminds us of how a great leader can impact the culture and engagement of any enterprise.”

—John Bamforth, Founder of Ciara Biosciences, Director, Eshelman Institute for Innovation, and former Vice President, Eli Lilly and Co.

“Backed by great histories and supported by [the author’s] own expertise, this is essential reading if you want to improve your personal leadership skills. Managers in private and public organizations alike will be grateful to Steenkamp for this new great book.”

—Xavier Orendáin, President, Chamber of Commerce, Guadalajara (Mexico)

“Enlightening and inspiring! There’s a lot we can learn from leaders of different times and apply in our current companies. Steenkamp found the way to show the reader how to apply all those historic experiences to our times.”

—Alejandro Romero, Director General, Geolife Swiss

“I am enlightened after reading Time to Lead. It discusses types of leadership in a concise yet insightful manner. I highly recommend the book as a practical guidance to managers as well as all those who aspire to be in a leadership position. I liked the global scope of the book, pulling in leaders from all parts of the world. Time to Lead is definitely a book worth reading repeatedly.”

—Guo Xiuling, Founder, Sand River Cashmere

“It is academically gratifying to read a book that uses illustrative examples so well to express a notion that is always in vogue. Leadership has been a topic of great interest for many decades. Of the many styles that deeply resonate with me is servant leadership. Steenkamp dealt with it so eloquently and portrayed it in such a vibrant way. His choice of nurse Nightingale is spot-on, not only for her servant leadership style that could be tangibly seen and felt; but with a great degree of humility she helped save lives and took that as her calling in life. As for Martin Luther King, his style could fall under charismatic leadership par excellence, yet Steenkamp masterfully chose him to better portray servant leadership, as King was willing to give up everything to ensure the survivability of his belief to serve the people and gave his life doing just that! Steenkamp’s book is powerfully illustrated with vivid examples that have stood the test of time and a must-read for people who are interested in the art of leadership.”

—Moustapha Sarhank, Servant leader and seeker of enlightenment, Executive Chairman, IBAG, S.A.E., and Senior Fellow, Olsson Center for Applied Ethics at the University of Virginia

“J-B Steenkamp has again managed to combine his exhaustive capacity for research (in this case historical) with an almost uncanny ability to distill [his knowledge] into simple, usable and practical conceptual frameworks for action in this fascinating treatise on leadership.  In this navigation through and synthesis of the very real leadership actions, approaches, and game-changing outcomes of sixteen world leaders spanning more than 2,400 years of history, he has been able to extract seven foundational leadership styles and two fundamental truths around leadership impact—grit (the tenacity to persevere despite obstacles) and clear and consistent vision. Part history book, part academic leadership study, and part personal development guide—it’s a worthwhile journey for anyone who aspires to have true and lasting impact.”

—Rob Malcolm, Director, Hershey Company, Senior Adviser, Boston Consulting Group, and former President, Global Marketing, Sales, and Innovation, Diageo

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