“At last, a leadership model rooted in the principles and heritage of South Africa!”

“In “The Rise of the Warrior Leader”, Claudio Chisté has carefully put together an understated masterpiece of a book. He has put together super-helpful and implementable leadership insights and practical tips for every level of leadership, drawing from ancient wisdom, and especially the wealth of African collective leadership encapsulated in Ubuntu. This power of collective intelligence runs through the book. Claudio has masterfully put together a masterpiece that needs to be required reading in every modern business school and every leadership programme. Every leader, and anyone aspiring to lead themselves, their team, or organization, needs to spend time engaging with the gifts that are packed into the pages of this piece of work. One of the best parts of this book is the currency of the message. This book captures the spirit of relevance and timeliness of modern leadership. Claudio’s messages in Warrior Leader do not age. Read it now and evolve.”

“This book makes a welcome contribution to present understanding of the multifaceted subject of leadership. It draws upon existing literature, including works by Drucker, Keohane and Nye, and Hershey and Blanchard, for historical context and to underpin its theoretical discussion. In this regard the book has firm foundations: it references past and present theories of leadership, with the aim of contributing practical and up-to-date perspectives.

This book takes a fresh approach to the question of what makes for effective leadership; it challenges existing assumptions whilst at the same time building upon well-known models in the field. In this regard it is a useful, original, and insightful contribution to our understanding of the subject in all its forms.”

“It has been my privilege to have a journey with the author. My knowledge of Claudio, coupled with our friendship, has only enriched my life. As our relationship grew, he engaged with his background knowledge and further study into leadership. His conceptual understanding of leadership is not only contextually valid but also applicable within current reality. The gems he has excavated in his research lead to the establishing of conceptual models that have a great relevance to leadership as a discipline. The author has furthermore drawn on data that will give the content good applicability in the leadership context. The leadership content provided is not only relevant but also very timely in the context of the worldwide leadership challenge. While there is no ‘quick fix’ with regard to our leadership challenge, I do believe that his work will have a significant benefit in the process. Congratulations with your work!”

“The Steward-Warrior Leadership model provides a fresh perspective on leadership. In recent times, we have seen a resurgence in awareness of Servant Leadership and VUCA. However, this new model brings an Ownership-driven approach with actionable principles which can be easily implemented. The model focuses on personal and organisational culture to bring about group cohesion and a focus on the team. This enables adaptation and implementation, in order to adapt and effect change in these times of chaos and complexity. These principles are applicable across multiple sectors, be it corporate, sports, government, politics, military and our day to day lives.”

“This lively highly readable text is a stimulating contribution to skilful leadership and great guide for those either starting out on their role as leaders or those wanting to polish their skills. Claudio offers a special contribution in his addressing the ‘both-and’ perspective of strength and compassion, required by emotionally intelligent leaders managing in turbulent times. The emphasis on the importance of strong positive values and self-reflective awareness is a consistent theme in his setting out of the ten dimensions of Steward-Warrior Leadership. A unique contribution is Claudio’s fascinating examples and stories of heroes and villains drawn from particularly South African history, illustrating the ‘both-and’ of exceptional relationally-intelligent leadership – courageous decision-making strength in crisis moments, and sociable engagement up and down the line in less stressful times. This is a timely contribution for coaches, students of coaching and leadership, as well as human resource practitioners and of course, every level of leader.”

“Claudio Chistè brings a new lens to the leadership domain, namely that of Steward-Warrior Leadership. This book provides a systems view of how a leader and leaders can significantly impact societal, organization and individual development outcomes through leading with purpose, wisdom and courage. His emphasis on leading during times of crisis and discontinuity is especially relevant for leading in the 21st century.”

“I really wish I could have heard about Warrior Leadership whilst I was still in the permanent force of the South African military, especially at our own National War College.”

“This book is thought-provoking and certainly a new and novel approach to the study of the art and science of leadership, building on some of the well-researched and classical works on this important subject. The concepts advanced could be of much value to anyone aspiring to assume a leadership role.”

“Rise of the Warrior Leader is the first book to follow Chaka, the exemplary biographical work on King Shaka by Thomas Mofolo. The book Chaka endured 15 years of scrutiny, seeking to undermine African contribution, before it was finally published in 1925. Rise of the Warrior Leader chronicles the leadership qualities of Jongumsobomvu Maqoma in the face of racist accounts in colonial literature. With the addition of African leaders such as King Moshoeshoe and Rolihlahla Mandela, Claudio’s work is anti-racist in character and, therefore, a critical contribution to human thinking.”