Customer Reviews

No Excuse Leadership: Lessons from the U.S. Army's Elite Rangers

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Finally, a book on leadership based on truth and real life experience! If you read business books and are tired of MBA speak, pick this up and learn what it really takes to persevere, to challenge ones self and most importantly -- to set an example. It is no wonder that the Army has produced some of the greatest leaders in history -- they are learning this stuff while most of us are still deciding which happy hour to hit.

I also like the way the book was organized. You learn first hand what it takes to succeed in a seemingly impossible set of physical, mental and emotional challenges. And you hear it directly from the Rangers themselves. The author then guides and offers advice on how to apply these same basic tenets to all aspects of your life.

I had no prior knowledge of the military or Rangers specifically. This book is also excellent for anyone contemplating joining special forces within the Armed Forces. The next time I see a soldier with a Ranger tab, I'll know that he put his heart, soul and mind on the line for 61 days and a better persepctive on what it took for him to survive.

I love Barber's No-Excuse method of leadership -- he's the kind of boss I'd enjoy working for.

Most of this book is not about leadership. Instead, it is about what it is like to be an Army Ranger. I would say 15% of the book is dedicated to the subject of leadership in the Rangers.

The book hits not so much at the intellectual level, but at the emotions. It does a fine job of describing the ATTITUDE of Ranger leadership. Perhaps it is implying that leadership is mostly about winning attitude.

The book holds the reader with its tales of harsh training every Ranger must suffer. Its training is specifcially designed to push every Ranger to their physical and psychological limits, resulting in what appears to be a near death experience to most Rangers. I found it intriguing that Rangers lose sexual appetite during their brutal training because all they can think about is their basic survival (warmth, food, shelter, and overcoming pain) while successfully accomplishing their mission.

I wouldn't go so far as to say this is the best book on leadership. From a army standpoint, being a ranger is a big deal. Anybody aspiring to be an outstanding military officer should so through a program such as the Rangers, Seals, Special Forces, Green Beret, etc.. Programs such as these certainly make or break an individual.

This book gives the perspective of 10 men who completed the Ranger program and their struggles to overcome their individual weaknesses. One of the Rangers spotlighted, Tex Turner adopted the statement: "As an officer, you are either a ranger or an excuse." The author embellishes this concept: "You are either wealthy or an excuse." "You are either healthy or an excuse." This simple saying can apply to any area of ones life. Am I doing all I can--or am I just making excuses.

I highly recommend this book. My only reservations were the authors abundant use of the F-bomb. True, it adds to the reality of the situation these men went through, but shows a lack of professionalism as a businessman/author. It is one minor aspect which would keep me from suggesting it to young readers. Also, from a business perspective, this book isn't a leader in leadership books. All in all, this book is exciting reading. It is well written. Many times I actually visualized myself in similar situations. Don't make excuses. Read this book.

Author and Army Ranger Brace E. Barber shows you how to make adversity hit the deck and give you 20 push-ups. His lessons on becoming a great leader are simple - stop thinking of yourself, learn to think of others, lead by example, persist in the face of adversity and so forth - but the process by which Army Rangers learn those lessons is complex and fascinating. Barber gives you insight into the brutal training that heroes such as the late Pat Tillman, the NFL star-turned-Ranger, endure for the cause of freedom. Barber profiles ten Rangers who applied lessons from their training to overcome difficulties. Readers see the circumstances under which these lessons were imprinted and deployed. In an age when people offer excuses as readily as business cards, Rangers believe the way to succeed is to stop making excuses. That's a valuable lesson in business and life. We highly recommends this book to those leading others through the hazards of business.

I am a graduate of Ranger School Class 2-99 and I thought this was an excellent book on how individuals that read this book can apply their leadership skills to civilian and military occupations. For the longest time, it has been difficult for me to explain to friends, family, and fellow Army officers what Ranger School was about, other than it being totally miserable for 62 days.

The individuals that shared their stories in this book are authentic because I remember the days they described. Brace Barber made this book interesting because he used other Soldier's points of view on Ranger School and how they perceived the lessons they learned about leadership. The Army claims Ranger School is the ultimate leadership school and I have to agree 100% with them. I plan to make it a requirement for my platoon leaders to read this book when I take command. RLTW!

I really enjoyed this book. I admit that I did not know much about Ranger training before reading it but I have a much clearer picture now and found the stories very interesting. As an executive who manages an elite team in the business world, I found the information directly applicable to my business.

Brace Barber cuts right to the quick in No Excuse Leadership. In fact, the first 52 pages will put you ahead of most people in understanding how to get things accomplished. Using his own experiences in conjunction with several other fine men who mastered Ranger School, the author outlines the essential qualities necessary to become a leader in any field. In an entertaining and informative narrative, Barber helps you grasp what it means to overcome challenge. This book is both practical and inspirational. I will continue to refer to it often.

I first read this book in 2003. I have since re-read it 4 or 5 times, and I have referenced it hundreds of times in my programs. Brace Barber is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. That accomplishment in itself should make clear Brace's understanding of discipline, character and leadership. Becoming a Ranger requires more than most can imagine let alone endure. There's no free pass. You either make it or you don't. Brace made it. More importantly for the masses, Brace has been able to recount the experience and translate into a read that will benefit anybody ready, willing an able to accept the greatest challenges of all. The challenges of leading others with courage, integrity, responsibly and purpose has always been reserved for very few. Barber's "No Excuse Leadership: Lessons from the U.S. Army's Elite Rangers" makes it possible for others to see exactly what it takes, and how to apply the same principles in today's business world. This book has been out for ten years now, and it's more relevant than ever. BRAVO!!

This book is almost entirely about Ranger School, which was good for me because I'm going to Ranger School in November, and I want to absorb as much as possible. It is a composite of about 5-7 Rangers' experiences in Ranger School (one per chapter), and a little bit about their experiences elsewhere. I loved that it didn't try to elaborate too much on how to apply lessons learned to the corporate world, even though it is a book about leadership and it touches on other applications briefly. If you're going to Ranger School, this is likely to prove very helpful in driving home the suck factor. It details difficult aspects of different phases of Ranger School, Ranger Instructors, Ranger Buddies, infamous benchmarks (City Week ending, starting the Florida phase, etc) and lessons learned. Again, this is about Ranger SCHOOL, and not Ranger ops or anything in a Ranger BN. It is very useful to have several different perspectives, officer and enlisted, from a few different branches.

fantastic first hand accounts of real men, real situations, real reactions and emotions, and real about life situations....examines the attitudes and morality of the highly trained and highly skilled mindset. all leaders are on a mission, whether physical or mental: navigation, people skills, and the gut-check define every one of us at critical paths in life. hooah!