The Israel Defense Forces' chief of staff is a national public figure whose decisions have a direct influence on force design and military strategy as well as an indirect impact on social, economic, and foreign affairs. In this study, the first of its kind, Meir Finkel offers a robust and original comparative perspective on the performance of the chiefs of staff from 1948 into the twenty-first century. Its aim is not to evaluate successes or failures but instead to look at the chiefs of staff's conduct in key areas: identifying change in the strategic environment, managing crises with wartime generals, rehabilitating the army after a botched war, building accord with the political echelon, and more. The case studies Finkel provides bring the lessons of history to current and future high-rank leaders worldwide and to students everywhere of strategy, military history, and military transformation. Book jacket.