Rate this book

The Mission, The Men, And Me: Lessons From A Former Delta Force Commander (2008)

by Pete Blaber(Favorite Author)

4.26 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0425223728 (ISBN13: 9780425223727)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Berkley Hardcover

review 1: I found this to be the best set of principles for military leadership I have ever read. Clear and concise rules and some damn interesting antidotes to illustrate them make this an eminently readable book on the normally dry topic of leadership and decision making. I made my lieutenants read this book and they ( mid twenties recent collage grads) all told me that they found it to be useful in helping them to shape their leadership styles as we'll.
review 2: This book is one of my favourites. Since I find military strategies interesting, what I learned from this book is timeless. This book provides meaningful insight into the world of a Delta Force officer and his dealings into his career and personal life. There are so many practical lessons that I took away fro... morem this book. From the title of this book, where the conception of this book is taken from, you'll learn the priorities that Pete Blaber, the author and commander in charge of his Delta Force team, put on himself to lead his team with effectiveness. His main priorities were:- What can I do to effectively and efficiently complete this mission?- What can I do for my men, their safety and livelihood?- & What can I do for myself?If you are a leader and would like to benefit from conflict resolution, this book is for you. This book will enliven your mind to correct your faults and deficiencies, and also tackle challenges and opportunities that may arise. He uses specific principles to alleviate the challenges he has faced by adapting to different environments and using core fundamental laws to take care of the job. His key principles are:- Always listen to the guy on the ground - They're the ones in duty and in real time situational awareness , so it's important that the information is taken into context and are communicated directly to the upper commanders so a clear and concise plan can be made. - It's not reality unless it’s shared - Always disseminate information with your comrades to understand the situation at hand so everyone can contribute and make a stronger, more cohesive plan. The brainstorming he teaches will not only generate creative ideas, but it will improve everyone's mental faculties in problem solving, a main point he teaches. - & When in doubt, develop the situation - a key concept that Blaber expounds upon to survey his surroundings so he can make a specific plan for the execution of the team's duties. Another section that I thoroughly found insight from was when he mentioned about using creativity and the absorption of knowledge/facts to construct a specific plan. He instructs on the practice of three consecutive principles when devising a plan, and they are:1. Saturate: Absorb all the knowledge that you can by overloading your mind with the necessary information, data, facts, etc.2. Incubate: Let your mind sift through all the knowledge that has been absorbed within the subconscious and let it process all the information, storing the data and letting it develop while sorting out all the knowledge within the brain's network. He advises to take a night of proper contemplation or rest to let the mind warm up in formulating ideas. Thus, it allows the reorganization of information overload to help the brain develop a plan, preparing the following principle to take place...3. Illuminate: This part is where the eureka, the aha! moment comes from where you have devised a brilliant idea. Once an idea has been formulated, you immediately need to write down your thoughts before it goes away. Let the ideas flow naturally without over-thinking, so that way you can soak up knowledge and spout out good ideas from it. Generally speaking, illumination takes the form of the beginning stages of applying knowledge. It is this moment where thoughts and ideas are seamlessly formulated within your mind and where the mind has been properly primed through the stages of saturation and incubation. These instructions are taught by the author to formulate effective plans and ideas and use them in whichever scenario or context that come about.In conclusion, The author goes through the hoops and struggles of being the team leader while providing entertaining stories, such as his experiences in the Yugoslavian wars or his trek in the Appalachian mountains. He also provides a thorough and fresh perspective on his journeys while mentioning of the blunders and mistakes he has encountered throughout. Overall, this book is an excellent read, and I would, again, advise those who are managers and leaders alike to buy a copy of this book, as you'll find useful information that can be applied to any practice you are pursuing or wish to pursue. less

Download links for: The Mission, The Men, and Me: Lessons from a Former Delta Force Commander

Advertising