Customer Reviews

Taking the Guidon: Exceptional Leadership at the Company Level

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There are three phases to command- Pre Command, Command and Post Command. Several years ago BG John Meyer Jr. gave us a guidebook for command. Now, Nate Allen and Tony Burgess have given us a comprehensive instruction manual preparing the new commander for command.

Taking the Guidon is a superb manuscript that should be required reading at every Captain's Career Course. This book is the natural extension of the enormously successful CompanyCommand.com website that serves to facilitate success in all three phases of command. Taking the Guidon provides great advice and solid guidelines enabling the soon to be commander to posture himself/herself AND their unit for success. The gold nuggets filling the pages of this book provide sound applicable strategies that when applied, will result in a more combat effective unit.

My copy is filled with notes in the margins, passages highlighted and pages dog-eared. My wife bought me a copy the week it was released; I bought my 1SG a copy before I took command. You want to be a successful commander- this book is a MUST READ!

Taking the Guidon offers strategies to develop your command philosophy, prepare for your change of command inventories, plan a vision and apply that vision to your training calendar and most importantly, this book offers tactics on how to get the most out of your unit. Ever wonder how to juggle all those glass balls- the secret is found in this book.

Some may find some of the content to be focused too much on the "touchy feely" stuff, I submit that you will have a tough time in command if you don't master that aspect of human relations. Today's soldiers require a different approach; the tools that Nate and Tony provide in this book can be applied universally to the air defender, infantryman, mechanic or cook. Sound approaches for a solid commander; approaches drawn from great leaders both military and civilian.

Get this book for yourself, get a copy for your 1SG as his initial counseling and get a copy for your XO as you send him/her off to CCC. Then after you complete command, go to the website and offer up your successful tips to other commanders and soon to be commanders. Your post command time can have even more impact than your time in command.

George Corbari
CPT, AD
Commanding

This book is right on target. I wish someone had shared this book with me. I have had 2 company commands and am currently in my 3rd. I commanded a line MP company, an MP DET (Confinement and PMO) and am now commanding a BDE HHC.

There is so much in this book I have had to learn or discover the hard way. While there may be a few "technical" details that have evolved since the writing of this book, it is 98% or more applicable to eveything I have seen and done.

I say ditto to everything in the first review. Get this book. For yourself, your PLs and your 1SG.

CPT Gary "John" Spivey

I recently read Company Commander: The Bottom Line and this book compliments that book very well. I enjoyed reading a book about command written by two captains. Having also read several Stephen Covey books, I enjoyed how the book merged a variety of topics and leadership concepts into something truely unique.

I would highly recommend reading this book before taking command and not a year after taking command like I did.

This book is a must read for all future Company Commanders. I truly learned how to apply better leadership traits to my junior leaders. I bought four more of these books, one for each of my Platoon Leaders and Executive Officer. I highly recommend this for reading before taking command.

This book is an excellent read while preparing for command. It outlines many areas that you need to focus on to transition company leadership.

With today's deployment heavy environment it is important to remember and restore the basics that have made units successful.

This is a book of basics. I bought it ahead of my second command as a refresher and would recommend it to any officer looking at leading the sons and daughters of this great country.

This book is an excellent prep for command! It gave me a lot to think about and where to focus. I recommend this book for anyone who will have a command some day, no time is too early to read it. I would also suggest NCOs read it as it also applies to them and will help them understand where their commander is coming from.