To the uninitiated, management and leadership practices in armed services groups such as the Army Rangers and Navy SEALs may appear rigid, brutal and hierarchical. Not true. As the recent spate of books about military leadership and management attests, the civilian world of business can learn much from the military. Here are five more of my favorite military leadership and management books.
1. It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy
Running a navy ship is like running a business. The commander of the highly acclaimed USS Benfold, Captain D. Michael Abrashoff offers lessons in military leadership and management that are applicable in business today. Not just an observer, Abrashoff demonstrated how progressive management can succeed at sea. He shares the leadership ideas that made his ship best in fleet with the enthusiastic cooperation of his crew. His advice includes lead by example, communicate purpose and build trust.
2. Semper Fi: Business Leadership the Marine Corps Way
Managers and organizations can benefit from emulating Marine Corps policies, procedures and values. This books offers ideas about recruiting, training, supervision and how middle and senior managers can most effectively manage. The authors compare situations from the Marine Corps and from the business world such as their shared hierarchical structures. They offer advice such as instill courage, stydy the past and set realistic goals for the future.3. Be * Know * Do, Adapted from the Official Army Leadership Manual ...
A step above most leadership books, this book about military management and leadership emphasizes the concept of dispersed, not hierarchical leadership. It also emphasizes that leadership is not some magical quality few people have, but a skill that many can seek. Leadership is about taking risks, leading from the front and taking personal responsibility for success. Does this sound like business success? Sure does.4. Rangers Lead the Way: The Army Rangers' Guide to Leading Your Organization ...
Want to learn how to work effectively in a team, identify friends and foes in your company, stay goal focused and directed, stay ahead of the competition and create a corporate vision? You’ll learn all of this and more in this book that shows you how to adapt the leadership and management principles of the Army Rangers to your business. (Adams Media Corporation)5. Team Secrets Of The Navy Seals
The author, an active SEAL, stresses how the SEALs build teamwork above all else. There are lessons in management and leadership from the military in his descriptions of training and hierarchical misconceptions. Fundamentally, what he describes as team building advice is applicable in any business even though conditions are not as physically challenging – they are as challenging emotionally and mentally.