Praise for Wargaming for Leaders
"As the Commander of U.S. Central Command in the late 1990's, I spent a lot of time thinking about how to take down Iraq or deal with the aftermath should the regime implode. We had a detailed plan for the former, but a vacuum on the latter. The authors designed a superb wargame that engaged officials from multiple agencies and produced a detailed picture of the reconstruction challenges in Iraq. Wargaming for Leaders, with the story of the Desert Crossing Wargame, is an important read for anyone interested in testing their strategies and plans, and thinking about how to address current and future challenges.
"As a warfighter and a military commander, I know the importance of using wargames to test strategies and plans before risking blood and treasure. The authors of Wargaming for Leaders tell the inside story of how wargames can help decision makers achieve success and avoid the pain of failure."
General (Ret.) Anthony Zinni, former Commander of U.S. Central Command
"The simulation on HIV/AIDS exceeded all our expectations... (and) resulted in some very innovative partnerships. I was deeply impressed by the energy and commitment of the participants, who came from four continents and included people from China. The outcome was the commitment to try to collaborate in innovative ways, building on the expertise of each sector. This sort of creative thinking could pave the way for genuine progress in reversing this terrible epidemic.... We hope to try to repeat the simulation model in other countries with emerging epidemics, such as China and Eastern Europe, as well as in Africa."
Richard C. Holbrooke, President and CEO of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
"Fascinating stuff. These wargaming techniques allow participants to develop scenarios that can lead to unexpected and remarkable outcomes. The wargames described in this book, particularly those on national security and energy issues, often suggest a future no one could have imagined in advance. Public policymakers should take note."
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former U.S. Secretary of Energy
"Over the past several years, I have personally participated in several Booz Allen-designed wargames to find solutions to the health challenges facing our country. The exercises led directly to transformational proposals that went on to directly shape government and industry decision making. By working through scenarios, these simulations can accomplish in a day or two the kind of practical problem solving and consensus building that too often takes months or even years. If your organization hasn't put these methods to work, you should."
Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, founder of the Center for Health Transformation
"Wargaming, once only a discipline used in military preparation, has emerged as a driving force in shaping strategies in corporate boardrooms. It serves as a powerful tool to examine a broad range of intricate scenarios and extract the key cause and effect relationship to provide real insight—what Dr. Jim O'Toole refers to as 'simplicity on the other side of complexity.' Any leader in either government or business will benefit greatly from this book and understanding the potential of wargaming in their own decision making."
Michael McConnell, Director of National Intelligence, United States