Never Fly Solo: Lead with Courage, Build Trusting Partnerships, and Reach New Heights in Business [Hardcover]

Robert "Waldo" Waldman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2009

The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling book on building powerful, effective teams!

“An amazing book that bucks the old paradigm that maverick leaders and self-made entrepreneurs set the bar. It will forever change the way you look at leadership.”
—Marshall Goldsmith, author of The Wall Street Journal #1 business bestseller What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

“In Never Fly Solo, Rob ‘Waldo’ Waldman shares potent, personal leadership lessons on what it takes to access the power of your wingmen. If you want a former fi ghter pilot with 65 combat missions as your wingman and if business success is your target, take flight with Waldo’s book and earn your wings. You’ll never fly solo again.”
—Jeffrey Gitomer, bestselling author of The Little Red Book of Selling

“If you are serious about building trusting relationships and launching your business and life to new heights, then invest in yourself and buy this book.”
—Keith Ferrazzi, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller Who’s Got Your Back

“Authentic and inspirational, Never Fly Solo is a winning formula for successful leadership that everyone in business should read.”
—Howard Putnam, former CEO of Southwest Airlines and author of The Winds of Turbulence

“Waldo does a superb job of applying to the business world the lessons he learned in his military career. His excellent use of vignettes shows how standards and values are applicable to leading an honorable life.”
—General Ron Fogleman, U.S. Air Force Retired, former Chief of Staff, USAF

“Waldo the Wingman knows the value of relationships and how to build real partnerships that benefit everyone involved.”
—Mark Sanborn, speaker and bestselling author of The Fred Factor and You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader

Rob “Waldo” Waldman understands one thing better than most businesspeople: You can’t reach your highest potential alone. You need wingmen—trusted partners—who can help you overcome obstacles, adapt to change, and prepare for success. A decorated former combat F-16 fighter pilot and now a successful entrepreneur, Waldman lives his life by this rule.

Whether you’re a senior executive, mid-level manager, or new hire fresh out of college, your success depends on the mutual support of trusted associates. In Never Fly Solo, Waldo helps you maximize your relationships to reach your greatest potential. You’ll learn how to:

• Commit to the core wingman values of integrity, accountability, service, and excellence
• Transform your relationships with colleagues into interdependent partnerships for success
• Take courageous action and ask for help when adversity strikes
• Communicate effectively in high-stress situations
• Connect with your coworkers and customers on a deeper level

Through compelling, real-world stories, Waldo relates how his Air Force wingmen helped him overcome challenges and become successful by teaching him lessons that work in an offi ce as well as in a cockpit.

Like the world of aerial combat, today’s high-stakes business world operates faster than the speed of sound. Teamwork and trust are critical for thwarting the missiles of fear, change, and risk that too often send even the most seasoned professional into a downward spiral.

You can’t dodge these missiles alone. Never Fly Solo is your flight plan for taking positive action that leads to greater success.

Find out more at www.neverflysolo.com.

The author will donate a portion of the book's proceeds to veterans charities.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rob “Waldo” Waldman is a decorated former fighter pilot, sales manager, and professional leadership speaker. His Fortune 500 clients include Hewlett-Packard, Aflac, Marriott, Medtronic, and Nokia. He has been featured on Fox News and BusinessWeek online and in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Selling Power. A lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve, Waldman lives in Atlanta where he was ranked one of the Top 40 under 40 Business Leaders in Georgia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (December 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071637060
• ISBN-13: 978-0071637060
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #521,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lt. Col. Rob 'Waldo' Waldman, The Wingman (www.YourWingman.com), is an inspirational leadership speaker, author, and peak performance coach.

A graduate of the U.S Air Force Academy, he is a former combat decorated Air Force fighter pilot and veteran over 65 real world combat missions in Iraq and Serbia. Having transitioned from 'Top Gun' to top businessman, Waldo earned an MBA and is now a successful speaker and entrepreneur. His unique experiences in competitive and diverse environments both in the military and in corporate America enable him to genuinely relate to the challenges individuals face both in business and in life.

Waldo is a columnist with Military.com, a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), past president of the GA Chapter of the National Speakers Association, and was voted one of the top 40 Under 40 Business Leaders in Georgia. His clients include HP, Home Depot, Nokia, Panasonic, New York Life and Bank of America.

To learn more about Waldo or his NY Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling book Never Fly Solo, visit www.YourWingman.com or call 1-866-925-3616.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Stories, Great Insights, Superb Leadership Coaching!, January 27, 2010

By 

Dan Seidman (Got Influence, Intergalactic HQ) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Never Fly Solo: Lead with Courage, Build Trusting Partnerships, and Reach New Heights in Business (Hardcover)

I'm an authority on sales training and have lost consulting deals over the years. But I have NO IDEA what it would mean to lose as a combat aviator. Think about it. Rob "Waldo" Waldman has to make the best decisions possible or he loses - he doesn't return from his mission.

What an outstanding resource Never Fly Solo is for anyone in the work world.

His thinking reinforces what I believe is the best way to distinguish good from bad business professionals. That is to recognize everyone makes either good or bad decisions. It gets no simpler than that.

Read here how an Air Force officer who flies is humbled to learn he's not the hotshot in the sky, but a part of a team that includes ground crew, mechanics, controllers, wingmen and more.

And from that experience flows wisdom that you can apply in business today.

One of my favorite stories is his description of "chair flying," actually simulating a mission in a chair prior to experiencing it in the cockpit. Mentally running every possible scenario, good and bad, can prepare you to succeed in life, as Waldman did in the air over 60+ combat missions.

I most highly recommend Never Fly Solo.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Never Fly Solo, January 25, 2010

By 

Michael Taylor "Michael Taylor" (Indian Trail NC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Never Fly Solo: Lead with Courage, Build Trusting Partnerships, and Reach New Heights in Business (Hardcover)

I used to teach part-time at a local community college and "Never Fly Solo" was given to me by a student. She knew someone who knows the author and she also knew that I used to be in the Air Force, hence, the connection to the book.

The author is currently in the Air Force Reserve and uses many connections between his Air Force service and the business world. While many of the points are really nothing new, it is good to be reminded of these points.

Among the points covered include:

1. Focus is the key to success. Excessive multi-tasking can throw you off course and distract you from your main goal. I say "amen" to that!
2. When people trust each other, productivity and morale increase.
3. Using the 3 Rs (Refocus, Refuel, and Retool) to improve your performance.
4. The manager who is available and quick to offer help is much easier to trust.
5. People liked to be treated as human beings first and businesspeople second. Being in sales for several years, I certainly appreciate and understand this point. Some companies I, family, and friends have worked for put too much emphasis on the bottom line being the bottom line. I thoroughly enjoy establishing relationships with customers but unfortunately, some companies' practices detract too much from those good relationships (and resultant trust) from developing.
6. A true leader is a servant. I do not know if the author is a Christian, but the attitude that the leader exists to serve others comes straight out of the Bible. Look at Jesus Christ, the ultimate Servant.
7. Past failures should not limit your future successes.
8. True happiness in life comes from serving others. I heartily agree - when you serve others, you can takes your eyes off of your own problems and help make other peoples' lives easier. No one is an island.

A good read. Some readers may be put off by the Air Force stories or references. Being an ex-US Air Force Officer, I enjoyed reading about his experiences (successes and failures). Nothing really new or earthshattering, but we all need to be reminded of basic concepts of life and how to relate them to business practices.

Recommended.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Top Gun Part Deux, January 12, 2010

By 

Avid Reader Man (Redondo Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Never Fly Solo: Lead with Courage, Build Trusting Partnerships, and Reach New Heights in Business (Hardcover)

I have never seen the author speak, but it seems that most of the reviews that are posted here are from people who have. I believe that this book was written to market his speaking, since all of his products are listed for sale at the end of the book. I'm sure the author is a fantastic motivational speaker, but I find the writing to be extremely simplistic and cringe-worthy.

The author starts the book describing his Wing Dad, Wing Mom, and several other wing people in his life (really, it's that sappy). Then, he tries to apply business principles directly to flight terminology. He even has a glossary in the back to list all of the terms he uses like "check six", "push it up", etc.

As the book progresses, the writing gets a little better, as the author puts more of his personal stories into the writing, and less business-speak. It's as if this book was written by two totally different people: the author and someone else who came in later to inject bits of business "wisdom" into the writing. It comes across as weird and uncomfortable as the author struggles to make his stories meaningful to the business world. I would be interested in the actual stories that the author had from flying F-16s without the fluff.

I swear I could see this book showing up on an episode of "The Office" - with the Dunder-Mifflin manager re-naming co-workers with fighter pilot nicknames like "Iceman", asking everyone to "check each co-worker's six", and referring to everyone as "wing-men" - as in "what's up, wing-man", "I challenge you to push it up, wing-man". Seriously, he actually has a tip to have "wingman of the quarter awards" to improve motivation.

The ideas in this book are not new. They are just presented from the perspective of a fighter pilot turned public speaker. If I could summarize the main ideas of the book, they would be:
1. Find a colleague / mentor at work who can give you honest feedback
2. Network with others
3. Improve yourself

The actual stories from the author's life as a fighter pilot start to get interesting, and then he stuffs in another "business learning", and stops the story short. I would like to have the author add more details to the story, and really take me from interested to engaged. In this case, he falls short, and then sticks me with a statement like "Don't spend major time with minor people."