Lessons on Leadership by Terror: Finding Shaka Zulu in the Attic

No one knows what made the feared uniter of southern Africa tick, and no one ever will. In his wake Shaka Zulu, who lived from about 1787 to 1828, left around two million people dead—their deaths either directly or indirectly caused by his tyranny. He also left a near-impossible job for historians who endeavor to sort myth from fact among the variety of oral and written accounts of his ferocious and chillingly impressive exploits.

This original book ties together what seems most reliable about the life of Shaka Zulu, and then uses equal parts management theory and psychoanalysis to speculate about the forces that motivated Shaka and his followers. For managers, it's an absorbing story that applies leadership lessons to a legendary but little-known figure from history. But managers may also recognize contemporary parallels to the account of the warrior king who forced his fighters to discard their leather sandals and toughen their feet for battle by running over sharp stones and thorns, and that's what the author wants. "We all have a Shaka Zulu in the attic. We all have a darker side, a violent streak ready to erupt as circumstances dictate. Shaka is not just a quaint illustration of perverted leadership of bygone years. He is a reminder of what every leader, every individual, can become."

Part I describes what is known or supposed about Shaka's personal biography, historical setting, and society at a time when southern Africa endured internal turmoil and also faced increasing incursions from colonialists. Part II is an earnest but admittedly speculative attempt to psychoanalyze Shaka by looking closely at such mental states as "paranoia, the disease of kings." Part III puts his leadership role in context today by discussing the tactics that contributed to his solid but short-lived success. (As the author points out, Shaka won short-term gains by compelling his warriors to dehumanize their enemies; however, he also destroyed trust with and among his own followers by punishing and killing them arbitrarily.) Part IV is a broader discussion of despots and institutions today, such as the International Criminal Court.

The book makes for an admirable and accessible synthesis of history, mythology, psychology, and—however weirdly—organizational behavior.

Author Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries (HBS MBA '69, DBA ‘70) is a chair of leadership development and director of the Global Leadership Center at INSEAD.—Martha Lagace

Table of Contents:

Part I: The historical context

1. A school for tyranny: Learning from hardship, betrayal and humiliation
2. The making of a military state: Honing the assegai

Part II: The question of character

3. Ruling by fear: Bringing enemies and allies alike to submission
4. The inner theatre of the king: Acting out personal concerns on a public stage
5. Monte Cristo in Africa: Seeking revenge for past wrongs
6. The nature of relationships: Being unable to establish real intimacy
7. Paranoia—the disease of kings: Exercising caution beyond the bounds of danger
8. The terrorist mind: Protecting the self by victimizing others

Part III: Leadership by terror

9. Following the leader: Colluding in cruelty
10. Lessons in leadership: Teaching by example and omission

Part IV: Deconstructing Totalitarianism

11. A throne of blood: Deploying the tools of tyranny
12. Dancing with vampires: Preventing tyranny through effective governance