Most books on leadership are pontifications with a list of do’s and don’ts. I have books, some old and some new, which spell out the essentials of leadership by live examples on how critical situations were successfully dealt with and, sometimes, how mistakes were made, but corrected. This short list of four books will give leaders, especially of the military, an insight into the art of leadership and the art of turning adversity into advantage.

Lt Gen Zameer Uddin Shah (retd)

The Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell by Oren Harari and published by McGraw Hill in 2010. The book provides no-nonsense, proven leadership solutions,