Leading with Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton

Rarely can a leadership book—usually stark and cold in tone, written with business school savvy—be called moving, but former Air Force pilot and leadership consultant Ellis culls lessons from his experiences as a POW in the infamous Hoa Loa Prison (the “Hanoi Hilton”) in North Vietnam and juxtaposes them with suggested strategies. Two books in one, Ellis shares his recollections from this harrowing time, and at the end of each chapter, presents the lessons he’s learned —often extensive, but never trite. Detailed descriptions of the personalities that make and destroy leaders (including fellow POW John McCain), as well as the physical and emotional torture he endured, give the book much added depth and show leadership as a quality of character. Though many of the leadership lessons are interpersonal, dominant among them is the idea of self-reflection. As Ellis writes: “Authentic leaders consistently live in harmony with their values, even when no one is looking. Their walk matches their talk.” Much more than a leadership text, Ellis offers an inspiring story that will engage readers. (May)