I summarized this book in 2015 and shared it to 1 or 2 Whatsapp groups.
Book Title: Saladin: The Life, The Legend and the Islamic Empire, by John Man (2015)
Saladin’s Great Leadership as analyzed by John Man:
– One key to his success: he combined two styles of leadership: hard and soft.
– Saladin had charisma. How did he become charismatic? It came from childhood experiences which carried over into adulthood:
- enough insecurity due to changes in his environment (Sunni vs Shia, Islam vs Christianity, local leaders vs each other) to inspire a desire to change the world; and
- enough security (provided by parents, wider family, a group, a class system, education) to confront his challenge without lapsing into paranoia, criminality etc.
– Saladin had these traits:
- problem-solving skills
- social competence
- a sense of purpose
- an ability to stay removed from family discord (conflict)
- an ability to look after oneself
- high self-esteem
- an ability to form close personal relationships
- a positive outlook
- focused nurturing (a supportive home life)
- a well-structured household
- high but achievable expectations from parents
– Saladin was programmed for leadership. He had the agenda or the vision: an Islamic world free from the non-Islamic, anti-Islamic outsiders.
– Another prime element of Saladin’s leadership: his readiness to share adversity (hardships, risking his life, sufferings)
– Other key qualities: austerity (not greedy, considered his followers before himself, in death he had nothing to his name), integrity (keeping his words).
– All his quality strengthened the morale of his followers.
– He had mentors (his father, uncle, his father’s boss the Syrian Sultan).
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