From Publishers Weekly
The military takes leadership very seriously, and this stolid but readable primer offers an unusually coherent view of the subject. Harper, a USNA alum, and Johnson, a psychologist and USNA Leadership professor, discuss such time-honored leadership topics as delegating, vision and servant-leadership, but their focus remains on the distinctive leadership approach preferred at the Annapolis Naval Academy. The hazing, constant drill and crushing workload at Annapolis, they feel, prepare students for the stress of combat command while inculcating obedience, teamwork and unit solidarity. Upperclassmen learn to take progressively greater responsibility for the performance of their comrades. Throughout, students are steeped in devotion to the Navy’s storied past and uncompromising code of honor. The authors argue that this regimen tends to produce paragons of integrity, grace under pressure, emotional sensitivity and deep regard for the welfare of subordinates. Harper recounts lots of leadership incidents from his years of command, while Johnson gives the material a psychotherapeutic gloss. They include reminiscences from Jimmy Carter, John McCain and other illustrious USNA grads, along with many stories of heroic (and less than heroic) military leaders. Their account of USNA leadership doctrine and praxis is lucid and engaging, if slightly idealized and stentorian, but it is not clear that it translates well, as they contend, into the civilian economy. The average Taco Bell, for instance, lacks the institutional mystique, compelling purpose and total control over employees’ lives that the military enjoys; unlike the Naval Academy, it can’t afford to let incessant drill, leadership exercises and sado-masochistic bonding rituals take time away from selling burritos. The book offers an illuminating look at the ideological foundations of military life, but does not seem a cure-all for the ills of the business world.
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From the Back Cover
"The school of hard knocks has proven inadequate as a leadership laboratory. More than 230 years of American naval experience has taught us this lesson: if you want great leaders, prepare them to lead. The remainder of this book is dedicated to highlighting the range of leadership lessons inculcated at USNA."
--From Chapter 1
The ability to lead others is a learned skill. And like any learned skill, its traits and tenets can be acquired through study and honed through practice before they are tested in the field.
Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way is a hands-on account of how a number of today's most accomplished global leaders--not just in the military but in business, politics, and virtually every walk of life--were trained in effective leadership at the United States Naval Academy, and how the skills and tools they learned can be taught to anyone. This step-by-step book removes the veil of mystery by breaking leadership down into its identifiable, educable components, then discussing how each can be acquired through education, drilling, and the acceptance of nothing less than true mastery.
Whether you are looking to unravel the "secrets" of leadership for your personal development, or have been given the responsibility of developing leaders in your company or organization, this straightforward and plain-spoken book details:
- Six common personality traits that inhibit the ability to lead effectively--and how each can be overcome
- The tenets of practicing great followership--more than any other anything else the key to becoming a great leader
- Techniques for inoculating future leaders against the stress they will experience tomorrow by exposing them to brief but intense doses today
- The secrets to emotional intelligence--becoming self-aware, self-regulated, self-motivated, and socially skilled
- Strategies for developing the three D's of empowerment--Decide, Delegate, and Disappear
Exceptional leadership skills can be taught. Furthermore, they must be taught if the business world is to bring itself out of its current global leadership malaise. Let Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to train and develop leaders with integrity, vision, and drive--who consistently do the right thing if for no other reason than it is the right thing to do--and stock your organization with trained leaders who exhibit character and commitment.
The battle-proven program for teaching anyone how to take initiative, triumph over adversity, and become a leader
Each day's business news seems to bring a new tale of questionable corporate ethics and decision-making leading to financial disaster. In virtually every case, the roots of the problem can be traced to weak, ineffective, and incompetent leadership.
But one organization--the United States Naval Academy--is unprecedented in its ability to turn out consistently well-trained, capable, and successful leaders. Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way takes you inside the classrooms and corridors of USNA. This illuminating book reveals the secrets of the Navy's documented successes and provides you with:
- Twelve timeless leadership principles, with a full chapter devoted to each
- Techniques for training emotionally intelligent leaders, as opposed to teaching "book smarts"
- Fascinating real-life examples of USNA grads who succeeded in combat, government, and business
Today more than ever, business needs leaders who possess frontline knowledge on everything from supervision and communication to teaching and team building. USNA has been shaping such battle-prepared young leaders since 1845. Becoming a Leader the Annapolis Way will show you how to bring USNA techniques and practices to your own business, and construct your own stable of young, competent, leadership-trained professionals.
