Customer Reviews

Outdoor Leadership: Technique, Common Sense, and Self Confidence

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

 

 

No wasted words or soapbox sermons here. I've been leading and following for years and found the concepts in this book to be direct and effective, and, if applied, sure to make a difference in all areas of your life--professionally and personally. Some of the concepts are so simple you will wonder why you haven't already been utilizing them. A quick read and a good value.

I bought this book because I am a Girl Scout leader and I thought it would help me to safely and effectively lead my troop on outdoor adventures. It has -- but the lessons it teaches are much broader. I have applied what I have learned to situations at work and in making decisions in caring for an elderly parent. I know I will keep this book and will be referring to it frequently. Great for beginners, but even seasoned or natural-born leaders, I believe, can learn something to improve their skills and be more effective.

This is an excellent book on what it takes to lead outdoor activities such as hikes, ski tours, backpacking trips, etc. It's really the first and best guide of its kind. Highly recommended!

On the face of it, this book is about how to successfully lead a group of outdoor adventurers who have paid for your leadership or who by explicit agreement or unspoken convention yield authority to you. Thus, everyone in the group holds you ultimately responsible for their well being and morale, and you have the rank and social power within the group to send someone packing if you so judge. Since the context of this leadership is an outdoor adventure, the examples of how to lead involve scenarios of that sort. Extrapolation can go in two directions: outdoor adventure in general, no matter who is in charge, and leadership in general, no matter what the context. The first arises from the attention in the book to wise planning and preparation before the trek, and while out in the wild, to calm, reasoned, compassionate leadership choices aimed at the safety and well-tempered dynamics of the group. The second arises because leading in the field and leading indoors both involve having socially sanctioned authority over people who may disagree with your choices or your right to power.

The book reads a little too much like a PBS special, where on stage there's an ever smiling man in a soft sweater, pacing slowly with small gestures as he speaks. Behind him is a large screen where we can read his discussion points and favorite quotations. In a quiet, gentle voice he urges us all to find inner peace and harmony, for in finding our calm center we will inspire respect and cooperative obedience.

This is a very helpful book for those who are pursuing leadership roles. I am impressed with the way the author incorporates basic values into leadership issues.

I'm an Eagle Scout from troop 572 of Carolina Puerto Rico, and all the leadership skill that I learn during my best time of my life is in that book.
I'm also worked at Denali National Park, Alaska and is great see a lot of people that love the wild and love to camp and hike, but more important is to be a leader in the woods with the visitors, that's why to be an Interps in Denali needs a lot of skills and Information that this book have it.
Any Outdoor Leader needs to read this Book.

I bought this book hoping to find some useful tips and tools. I was not really impressed by it. It sits on my shelf, about half read. This might be a great book for other leaders or those looking to inspire certain leaders, but I did not get much from it.

I purchased this book for analagous use in a large corporation. It contains many useful insights and guidelines for leadership. Unfortunately, the author's attempt to generalize the definition of the term "pucker factor" is not enough to overcome the term's original anatomical meaning, hence making it questionable for corporate use. This conclusion is based on interpretations of the term from employees I surveyed. A more neutral term like "stress factor" would make it a perfect metaphorical book for use in corporations.