Going Back to the Future

Reviews / Votes

There's no better way to learn about leadership than to study great leaders looking for insight into the habits of mind and heart that enabled them to make a difference. That's just what Robert Palestini does in Going Back to the Future, taking readers on a journey through the lives of figures as diverse, fascinating and instructive as Jane Addams, Walt Disney, Pope John Paul II, and Mao Zedong. Anyone interested in leadership and the lives of emblematic leaders should find much to like in Palestini's book. -- Lee G. Bolman, Professor and Marion Bloch/Missouri Chair in Leadership, University of Missouri-Kansas City Robert Palestini's new book speaks to the age. As Americans worry about the character and conduct of supposed leaders in business, education, entertainment, and public affairs, they cry out for models of effective leadership that might inform and inspirethis and subsequent generations. Palestini draws on his own experience and observations as a leader in education from the primary grades to graduate studies and his close reading of history and biography to discover critical qualities effective leaders have demonstrated and must have to succeed. His reach is wide and deep in selecting various leaders from the last century or so who have exemplified, in various degrees, five frames of leadership, including, in Palestini's wise consideration, morality. Palestini's deft profiles show that effective leaders are made, not born, and that most of all that they must be learners in order to be leaders. Effective leaders, he posits, were those who understood, adapted to, and managed different situations rather thanthose who hewed only to dogma or ignored the ideas and interests of others beyond themselves. Pragmatism and principles formed the ready mix for success. The genius of Palestini's book is his common-sense approach to issues of leadership. The result is a -- Randall M. Miller, Distinguished Professor of History, Saint Joseph's University Literature on leadership often fails to include a clear connection between theory and practice. This book details characteristics and behaviors manifested by effective leaders from the past and discusses how their behavior was informed by leadership theory. Dr. Robert Palestini describes the leadership practice of eleven great historical figures as a way to illustrate situational leadership theory, and as a guide for our own leadership behavior in today's world. I have known Bob Palestini and observed his leadership practices for a number of years, and his book demonstrates how one can become a very effective leader in his or her personal and professional life. I believe that Going Back to the Future: A Leadership Journey for Educators will prove to be an invaluable resource for leaders at various levels not only within the educational arena, but in other types of organizations as well. -- Timothy R. Lannon, President, Saint Joseph's University Robert Palestini's new book speaks to the age. As Americans worry about the character and conduct of supposed leaders in business, education, entertainment, and public affairs, they cry out for models of effective leadership that might inform and inspire this and subsequent generations. Palestini draws on his own experience and observations as a leader in education from the primary grades to graduate studies and his close reading of history and biography to discover critical qualities effective leaders have demonstrated and must have to succeed. His reach is wide and deep in selecting various leaders from the last century or so who have exemplified, in various degrees, five frames of leadership, including, in Palestini's wise consideration, morality. Palestini's deft profiles show that effective leaders are made, not born, and that most of all they must be learners in order to be leaders. Effective leaders, he posits, were those who understood, adapted to, and managed different situations rather than those who hewed only to dogma or ignored the ideas and interests of others beyond themselves. Pragmatism and principles formed the ready mix for success. The genius of Palestini's book is his common-sense approach to issues of leadership. The result is a book that will inform and inspire and, one hopes, will encourage leaders in every sector to look at themselves honestly and act accordingly. -- Randall M. Miller, Distinguished Professor of History, Saint Joseph's University