Customer Reviews

Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior: A Commando's Guide to Success

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I picked up this book after reading the reviews, and having read marcinko's strategy for success.
The clincher for me was, however, sparky999's review below.
If someone who tries to use words such as dicotomous (dichotomous), Nepolianic complex (Napoleonic Complex) and referring to Causawitz (Presumably Von Clausewitz) whilst totally messing them up is the sort of person who so desperately wants to be viewed as important end educated without actually putting the effort into being so.
Not that poor command of the english language is a crime, but attempting to use words that are usually only in the vocabulary of the highly educated, and not even bothering to check on their spelling or proper use is the sign of a person with poor attention to detail at best, and a complete fool at worst.

And in short, I thought that if this sort of person thought that Dick has no idea, then it's probably great stuff.

And I was right.

Ghandi said "Be the change you want to see in others", but Marcinko put's it a bit more succinctly saying "Lead from the front" It's not really much new, it's just a more direct delivery.

Leadership is about trust, comradeship and loyalty (Both ways) this is true in families, military units, business and even sporting teams. It's just the consequences of poor leadership are different.

i highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be the person that Gets things done. In a sentece this book says:
Get the job done to gain trust. Garner trust to create loyalty. Return loyalty to create leadership.
there is a lot more in it than that, but it's the simple and direct way he says it that grabs attention.

I attended a military service academy and received much formalized leadership training. Most of this training was geared for what worked in the sterile corporate environment of officership. That training had its merits for its intended purpose. I now own a large contracting company. Those lessons don't work well for the crews in the field. Marcinko's lessons are much more applicable. Marcinko is rude, crude, testosterone laden - but most importantly effective. He understood his audience and what worked and what didn't. This is the key. I require all my job foreman to read this book. To management level personnel I'll give Steven Covey - but not to the guys who sweat & bleed for a living and have to get others to do the same.

In modern corporate America, we have a breed of people who talk tough at the bar or in their office, but rarely put any muscle behind the talk. The hardest lesson of Marcinko's book is in fact the best one: You must be ready to risk everything you've accomplished in order to succeed even further. The difference between the leaders and the wanna-bes who just play the game is that the leaders don't talk about their philosophy, they just live it and they aggressively confront those obstacles. The wanna-bes talk about their philosophy, but when it comes time for the show-down, they're nowhere to be found. This book forces you to take a look at how you do business and be honest with yourself about how you can do it better.

Marcinko spent over 30 years working with and leading Navy SEAL special warfare units. His best selling "Rogue Warrior" series shared some of his experiences and the successes and struggles he experienced throughout his career. In this book, Marcinko re-visits successful (and unsuccessful) leadership techniques that are surprisingly just as applicable to the everyday business world as they are to the jungles of South East Asia. Not unlike the "suit and tie samurai," Japanese businessmen who read the "Book of Five Rings" (warrior strategy written by legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi in the 1500's)and apply the lessons to business life, the reader of this book can find ways to fight the "battles" of the business world. One example from the book is, "...People just blithely assume that the main reason they don't achieve their goal is that someone ELSE beat them to it. ...If you finish second it's not BECAUSE someone else finished first. That person's victory as just a "side effect" of your failure. If you lost, it was because you didn't sufficiently punish yourself in training, and didn't focus your full force of your being on victory." A refreshing perspective on the business "battlefield."

I've read many "leadership" books, but Marcinco's book makes the top 10. Yeah, there's tons of books that teach the fundamentals of being a leader, yet Marcinco drives at the practicality of being a leader. Instead of hiding behind the desk, a leader needs to be leading the team. Whether that is with vision for your company or an attack plan for your military troop. Half the battles we fight in corporate America are the agendas hiding behind the lines. This book might rub you wrong, heck it rubbed me wrong right off the bat. But when it comes down to it, this book will kick you right where you need to be: A Leader!

OK, up front I'll admit I had a fun time reading this... Leadership Secrets of the Rogue Warrior: A Commando's Guide to Success by Richard Marcinko. It's not your typical leadership book with polished words and concepts. It's raw, gritty, and will likely offend a few readers. But I'd think twice about trying to apply this "warrior mentality" to your business life. Odds are you'll end up hated, fired, or in jail...

Contents: The Rogue Warrior's Ten Commandments of SpecWar; Introduction, Chapters 1 through 10 - The Ten Commandments; Epilogue; A Note on Sources

The ten commandments are: 1) I am the War Lord and the wrathful God of Combat and I will always lead you from the front - not the rear. 2) I will treat you all alike - just like s***. 3) Thou shalt do nothing I will not do first, and thus will you be created Warriors in My deadly image. 4) I shall punish thy bodies because the more thou sweatest in training, the less thou bleedest in combat. 5) Indeed, if thou hurteth in thy efforts and thou suffer painful dings, then thou are Doing It Right. 6) Thou hast not to like it - thou hast just to do it. 7) Thou shalt Keep It Simple, Stupid. 8) Thou shalt never assume. 9) Verily, thou art not paid for thy methods, but for thy results, by which meaneth thou shalt kill thine enemy by any means available before he killeth you. 10) Thou shalt, in thy Warrior's Mind and Soul, always remember My ultimate and final Commandment: There Are No Rules - Thou Shalt Win at All Costs.

I had one misconception corrected quickly. I thought the "Rogue Warrior" was a fictional character used in novels written by Marcinko. I didn't know until I read this book that he really *was* the Rogue Warrior and was a successful covert soldier, adept at many types of warfare. Based on his experience and training, he distilled his beliefs into what you read here. From the perspective of someone going to war with a fellow fighter, this is exactly the type of person I'd want by my side... ruthless, creative, and willing to do whatever is needed to win and stay alive. But does that really translate to the business and personal lives of the readers? I hope not...

After each of his explanations of the principle being discussed, he gives an example of how it applies to war and how it applies to business. Generally, some of the concepts are true... train hard, get results, etc. But the "win at all costs" theme is the exact attitude that ended a lot of Enron executives (as well as others) in jail. Marcinko does try and say that you have to be honorable in the way you approach this, but it's normally followed by "breaking the rules to get results". I know what that is *supposed* to mean, but in reality it comes across as the end justifying the means. The argument would be that there's a line that shouldn't be crossed, but I'd venture that for many, that line is too blurred to be used as an accurate measuring point. Buying into this philosophy in an organization would make for a ruthless and brutal workforce, and not one that I'd like to return to day after day. And I suppose in Marcinko's eyes that would make me soft and worthless... oh, well.

If I were to step onto a combat field or a dojo, I'd want to adopt this mindset. But if I step into my workplace, there's a few more things to be considered than just raw "kill the enemy before he kills you" emotion.

This book has lead me to take an agressive approach toward the path my life is to take. Commander Marcinko makes me wish I could have served under him in the "Teams" and I want to work for him now. It also outlines the way leaders should conduct themselves "Honestly". No symantics, no prima donna garbage. " This is our job guys lets do it!"˙

If you can't decide whether your boss is an idiot or a true leader,you need to read this book.Marcinko tells it like it is even if you don't want to hear the truth.His book is really a fun read.Most people I know who bought it read it twice in under 3 days time.Marcinko described it to me at a 4 hour signing he did as "kinda like Sun Tzu,only with the F-word".It made me realize I was working for a boss on the road to nowhere.

Great read! Simple, straight forward, makes more sense than any of the other "mumbo-jumbo" leadership/management books on the market. The corporate world DOES mirror combat, despite the fact that we're encouraged to be more compassionate, understanding, and feel the pain of others.

Despite a wimpy exterior, Bill Gates has as big a warrior hear as does Richard Marcinko. Gates may have used 'namby pamby' techniques like market surveys, beta testing, and listening to his customers, but for the ultimate goal. As Marcinko and his warrior band, Gates uses the tools of surveillance and reconnaissance to his advantage, to DESTROY the competition and win. Throughout his tenure at Microsoft, he has crafted an organization that would kill for the man. Marcinko's book can explain how to do just that.

Having been a military leader myself, the corporate world has been screaming for this kind of book and training. To walk past it at this point would be ludicrous!

Captain Marcinko, despite my service pedigree, I'd follow you anywhere! Go Army, Beat Navy!

It's common enough for business leaders to resort to military metaphors for "conquering the marketplace", and rare enough for them to be able to speak with credibility in the same fashion. An interesting blend of military aphorism and business practice, this book will probably only appeal to those who have read other Rogue Warrior works - but take the rules to heart, for they are true on any battlefield you may face. Corporate and military organizations are both often plagued with politicking and similar counterproductive BS, and Richard Marcinko famously decries all that to focus on results - as any leader should.