Those who give away power surround themselves with loyal and powerful supporters. Far from the quagmire of "blind obedience", today's leadership requires empowerment at all levels. The world moves too fast for one person in any organization to make all the decisions. To compete and excel, entire organizations must move in unison, like well-practiced teams, where everyone is aiming toward similar goals. The old power pyramids of corporate America are crumbling and being replaced with fast, mobile leadership teams. It's a leadership revolution! Elements of which include:

• Flexibility
• Strategic and innovative thinking
• Simplicity
• Empowerment at all levels in the organization
• Communication flowing freely up and down the command structure

One man who has the unique perspective to observe and analyze leadership, both in corporate America and the military, is retired Air Force Major General Perry M. Smith. As the on-air military expert for Cable News Network (CNN), he was on the scene throughout the peak of the action in "Desert Storm." With his firsthand insights into the leadership style of a cutting-edge communications company, CNN, and the new "manager-style" generals like Schwarzkopf, he fills Taking Charge with the most useful leadership ideas ever He also shares many of the lessons from his long and storied career. You may not associate words like "flexibility" with military leadership. However, in today's high-tech, high-speed, ever-changing world all the elements of the new leadership are essential for survival and success. Schwarzkopf himself drove this point home by emphasizing that to succeed, "it didn't take a hero." It took a special kind of management and leadership.