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.

Walt Ulmer has spent his adult life leading or teaching leadership.He retired as a lieutenant general to become for nine years President of the Center for Creative Leadership, a global organization engaged in research and education. As a lieutenant he commanded three different companies; as a general he commanded for six years at division and corps. His awards include the Silver Star w/OLC, and the Combat Infantryman and Master Parachutist Badges. He led major studies of command climates and leader behavior.