A Military Leadership Notebook

Principles into Practice

Within formal organizations like the military, individuals in charge rely on two sources of authority to get the job done: granted statutory power and personal power, which is gained by earning trust. Good leaders use both. In A Military Leadership Notebook, Walter F. Ulmer Jr., who retired from the U.S. Army as a lieutenant general, explores what makes a great commander. While he focuses on the military, the leadership lessons he shares work in war and peace, on land and at sea, and in small and large organizations. Ulmer defines leadership, shares his personal philosophy of leadership, reveals tips on measuring a leaders success, and outlines behaviors that can lead to successas well as those that can lead to disaster. He also wades into the debate over whether leaders are born or made, explains why its important to respect the authority and responsibility of subordinate leaders, and how to manage organizations and large staffs. No matter what your military rankand even if youre a civilian leaderthis guide will be a leadership teaching tool that youll refer to for years to come.