Customer Reviews

Exceeding Expectations: Reflections on Leadership

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This is a must read book for all leaders. It is an outstanding book with a wealth of practical tips on leadership at every level in any organization. Each chapter begins with a leadership principle followed by a vivid example of that principle in action. The principles are simple yet often overlooked by leaders - humility, lead from the front, risk and return, creating the reality, decide to decide, power of empathy, being inclusive, enforcing the standards, integrity, professional courage and importance of balance.

What I really like about this book is that it is written by an exceptional leader with 40-years of hands-on leadership experience rising to the highest rank in the U.S. Air Force. After my own 31 years of personal experience rising to senior leader positions in major corporations, I am a big fan of leadership lessons from successful leaders rather than from academics who study leadership and have never been high level leaders.

Best of all, I have had the pleasure of meeting General Bill Looney. He is the real deal, a genuinely nice person who lives the life he writes about. In this age of outsized senior leader egos, General Looney stands out as an example for all leaders to follow.

This is an invaluable read for the aspiring leader. General Looney mentors his readers by presenting principles important to the successful leader, following each by examples from his own successful career to illustrate. It's the personal examples following each principle that make this book so easy to read and the principles easy to grasp. Reading the book is like sitting on the front porch with the family patriarch, listening to vignettes about how a man ought to act.

I worked for the General early in his career, and can verify that he is the kind of person who should be giving advice on how to be a good leader. This book is well-written and down-to-earth. I highly recommend it.

At first glance, this looks like another vanity memoir by a retired General. Instead, it reads like a heart-felt conversation between a senior mentor and his junior staffer.

General Looney has managed to illustrate each major point with a relevant story suitable for telling at the club after work, without losing the key lesson in the process. Each chapter passes on timeless wisdom, driving home the point without needing to pound it in.

This book is both a quick read and suitable for serious study. I commend it to you. It certainly exceeded my expectations.

Looks like a great book, shipping was tolerable. I'm in AFROTC, so I was looking for a good book on leadership to read over summer break. This looks like it! I've only read through the first chapter, but it looks great!

This is a book of wisdom from a rare sage. From the earliest days of his career, General Looney exceeded the expectations of his bosses and, more importantly, his subordinates. In this gem of a book he shares with us his secrets. He tells us stories that were defining moments in his life and as we read them and compare ourselves to them we end up wanting to become a better person.

A superb book that shares lessons learned about how to be a successful leader. Complete with personal examples, this is a must-read for every Air Force officer from 2nd lieutenant to 4-star general. Highly recommended!

General Looney was a Lt Colonel when he led the Big 22 F-15 Fighter Squadron in Bitburg, Germany. I was there and my husband was in his squadron. In the chapter "When #4 is #1", my husband was #4. Under the leadership of Lt Colonel Looney, the squadron improved from a under-standard organization into one of the most respected and highest-rated squadrons in the Air Force. I watched all of this transpire from the side lines as a wife and wondered how on earth Lt Colonel Looney managed to inspire his people so effectively. Now I have a better understanding after reading his book. The book offers ideas from the man himself who lived the leadership role and was very successful.

From the beginning of communication, successful hunters would share their experiences with the younger aspiring hunters in order to insure the welfare of the tribe. As time went on, storytelling became important to not only hunters but also warriors.

As Warfare has progressed, the art of storytelling from our military leaders seems to have diminished as tactics and leadership are formally taught. But something remains missing in just the teaching.

It seems that this book takes a well aimed stab at that missing part. It is story telling in simple form that addresses the "why" in leadership by giving examples. Classroom teaching presents mostly "how".

Storytelling from the successful inspires the aspirant and teaches why things formally taught are important. Biographical tomes provide some insights, but short stories in parable form are memorable. And if a concept is memorable, then it is usable to the inexperienced.

I can see why General Looney became a general and is a good leader. I related to many of his stories and feel better about some hard decisions I made. I wish this book and others like it had been available when I was a young officer.

General Looney is one of the most inspiring, people oriented and effective leaders that I have ever had the privledge of working with or for.I know first hand that he practices what he preaches. General Looney's "Exceeding Expectations" is a terrific book which should be on the mandatory reading list for all aspiring leaders at every level.His premise that its all about followers, not leaders is right on target. And, he really nailed it with his concept that that the key to personal and organizational success is inspiring others to exceed expectations while exceeding their expectations. Finally, his approach of illustrating the essence of great leadership with his personal stories was unique and very effective and makes his book a special treasure. As I hope others will do, I have personally thanked General Looney for taking the time to write down his perspectives on leadership.

Ray Shulstad, Brig Gen (Ret), USAF

In the great pantheon of leadership books written by retired general officers, Bill Looney's short book is likely to be and should be found dog-eared on the desk of every Air Force Officer and aspiring young leader. This book really resonates with me. It doesn't pull punches. Most military officers who've been around have been exposed to countless books on leadership promoted by retired officers. They almost never stand the test of time because they are too theoretical, academic, or work in one place and time. Not so this book. Common sense leadership never goes out of style.

Bill Looney and I became Air Force Officers in the same year, 1972, I completing a rewarding 32 year flying career and he going on to 40 years. I don't know him personally. I only wish I'd had his common sense reflections on leadership early on. Like him, I had to learn his lessons through trial-and-error, mentorship by caring bosses, and personal observation of leaders and situations. Our leadership challenges, albeit at different levels, parallel in many ways. I attest to the facts and validity of his perspectives.

This book doesn't guarantee success...if you believe success comes that easy, I suggest late night TV infomercials. It doesn't guarantee that even if you follow his advice to the letter you will be as successful as he or create the perfect organization. Timing, human nature, the cruelty of chance events beyond our control, and being in the right place at the right time also affect success. Bill Looney's extraordinary talent, intelligence, hard work, support by good bossses, dedication to every person and organization he was part of, and sacrifice helped propel he and his organizations. Doesn't work in every instance but it sure increases your chances.

This book does exactly as it says, providing reflections on leadership...simple, concise, with personal stories from his own experience. What Bill Looney has done in a very readable and personal way is take 40 years of leadership lessons and cull them into a coherent short series of chapters. Chapters which can be read and reread as leaders face similar situations.

Highly recommended!