Absolute classic
I bought this book as a newly promoted USMC Corporal nearly twenty years ago, and have re-read or flipped through it countless times since then. If you're a leader, manager, or supervisor of any sort who cares about your people and want a thorough yet easy to read book that isn't afraid to ask and answer the hard questions, you need this book.
So good I had to buy it a second time
I first purchased this book last December and made it half-way through before I "forgot" it at a bar during the Vikings loss to New Orleans. The book was so good that I had to buy it again to finish it.
Quite simply, Small Unit Leadership is a training manual for leadership. I've never been in the military, but feel this leadership guide translates just as well to the business world. It's not like those fluffy, self-helpish books generally written for business leadership. (You know the ones: more feel-good stories, less substance). Think about it, no other organization has made a systematic study of leadership the way the military has. I can picture myself teaching from this book as a textbook someday in a leadership course in business school.
The book is written in a clear and concise manner. It lays out in detail the purpose of leadership, how to develop your subordinates, how to understand their styles and develop high performing teams, followed by a detailed list of "how to's."
Five stars.
There are some practical applications
Even though this book was written for the military leader, it can still be used for guidance in leading any small unit. It follows along many management books that are already on the market, but this one goes a little farther in that those that it speaks of leading depend on each other for their very lives.
Definately worth checking out if you have charge over a small unit.
Small Unit Leadership a commonsense approach
All I have to say is "Buy It" . If you find youerself in a position to lead troops this book is an absolute must.
24 years later....
I brought this book when I was a young Non Commission Officer (NCO) in 1985. From time to time I had refered to it but I really discovered its worth when I repeatedly used it during my Masters Degree course in the Psychology of Leadership. The old book was tattered and highlighted from years gone by, I have to concur with every other professional in a leadership position that has commented on this work; don't put it on your bookshelf, put it in your pocket or your desk and refer to it weekly if not daily.
(29 reviews)
