Customer Reviews

Team Secrets Of The Navy Seals

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I did not read anything in this book that I would consider a secret. But I do think this is a very good book on leadership and team-building. I have read many leadership/team-building books and all have a few nuggets that make the book a worthwhile read. This book had all of those and more.

I have spent time in the military and have seen awesome levels of dedication to team. Sometimes this attitude can be transferred or built up in a civilian organization. But it takes a lot more work.

The problem as I see it is that the Seals are all volunteers and they really want to be the baddest mothers on the planet. They like to be cold, wet, and tired, and actually ask for more to prove they can handle anything. While in the civilian world, that kind of dedication is almost non-existent. While there are many people that don't mind, or even like, to work hard, they all know that when the whistle blows, its Miller time and they can go to their comfortable homes.

As far as the civilian world goes, you can try to build a great team, but you will never come close to the dedication of an elite military unit, not just Seals, but all branches have their elite teams. It just seems that you cannot build this culture because corporate America does not like it when you push your people past their known limits. Yes, you will make them better people, but companies are worried about lawsuits, not having the best team in the corporate world.

This book, if read and followed, will make you and your team better and more productive. The book goes into many subjects, like "know what you've got", "have an open door policy", "the menace of micromanagement", "have teammates, not lackeys", and a few others. While most of this may seem to be commonsense, I felt it was good to be reminded of these and to also have the author present a topic I am familiar with in a different light. Sometimes hearing something from a new angle makes it stick better.

This is an easy read and if you lead a team or want to be a better teammate, then this book is definitely worth the small cost. I recommend it and will read it again in the near future to make sure that the lessons taught here stick.

As a management consultant, I've always been interested in anything that would help me get the message of team work across to my clients. I seen many people who attempt to lead but fail to do so. Many micro-manage, accept mediocrity, or finger point when something goes wrong. This book is a good guide on how to help - coach - someone who wants to be a great team leader. Lots of good examples and the chapter summary lessons are excellent and are great teaching and talking points of their own. I intend to give copies of this book to several of my clients as gifts.

This book is right on the mark about how a team is built and lead. It also tells the issues that will prevent a true team atmosphere from forming, including some people do not work well with others unless you can find something in it for them where they feel like they shine and can learn to see the shine in others.

Well worth your time to read and think about. Training your people then trusting them to perform. Following every large project with a review session and writing up what worked, what did not, and where could we have done better is worth the time it takes before your team scatters off to their next project. Avoiding finger pointing. Owning up to mistakes. These were all key to the best jobs during my career and were elements of the worst jobs that drove me nuts!

I think the book itself is worth the purchase. The concepts used by the Seals are excellent for team-building. However, the writing is a bit dry.

I currently serve as the Training Supervisor for the Greensboro Fire Department in Greensboro, North Carolina. As a Marine (Active Duty 1975-1981) the title of this book caught my eye. I purchased the book and began to read. The more I read the more excited I became. This an outstanding book on leadership. It's a very well written book and is straight to the point. After purchasing one for the Chief of the Department we decided that every Chief Officer in the department needed to read it. 27 Chief Officers cannot be wrong. The only comments I have received from our officers are outstanding. They have truly enjoyed reading the book. We have outlined the chapters and use them in discussion sessions. Anyone who leads an organization should read this very practical book on leadership. I can't see how you would be disappointed.

I read a lot of leadership and management books. This is one of the few that has little theory and lots of practical experience supporting its practice recommendations. Even though you would never force your associates to endure anywhere near the physical and mental stress that SEALs volunteer for, there is no doubt that all of us have the capacity to be more mentally resilient.

These lessons in striving for excellence apply to all of us, whether excellence is selling a single product or being the biggest, baddest dude in an American uniform.

Go SEALs!!

This book was a good reminder of the importance of cohesiveness between the leader and the team. While not full of new age tactics, it offered a refreshing look into a leader willing to learn from every member of the team and valuing every person as an intricate part of the team.

Every moment of a Navy SEAL's life is geared toward the word Team, according to the anonymous author of this book. The most difficult and dangerous military missions are assigned to teams of Navy SEALs, and the survival of each member of the team depends on every member thinking as a team. Thus the Navy SEALs provide a useful study in the characteristics of highly effective teams.

* Naval Special Warfare is a strictly volunteer organisation, and anyone who is unwilling to complete an assigned task is free to leave;
* Vigorous screening processes are applied to ensure that only the highest quality candidates make it onto teams;
* Maximum team performance depends on identifying and using the specific talents of individual team members;
* If any individual is unwilling to maintain the team spirit, that person's gangrenous attitude needs to be cut from the team immediately;
* Team leaders must always be aware of their teams' morale level and identify and quench burnout before it happens;
* Team members must be held accountable for their actions, but the team leader must not stifle their future efforts by being overbearing;
* It is essential for development that the team be allowed to make and learn from mistakes without being micromanaged;
* Being interested in team members and keeping them informed is a type of preventative maintenance;
* The goal of a team is to develop its members, not to work them into submission.

An experienced business manager will already be aware of these principles; nonetheless, it is helpful to read about them from the particular context of the Navy SEALs. A particularly interesting observation made by the author is: "You should keep an eye on those who do not make a fuss ... a complaining sailor is a happy sailor." The aim is not to get team members to complain for the sake of complaint, but to ensure that they are contributing their ideas for positive change within the organisation.

The book is fairly short, and easy and enjoyable to read, being filled with interesting anecdotes about life in the Navy SEALs, an organisation I suspect most readers have no desire to volunteer for. I recommend it to business leaders looking for a fresh perspective on how to make teams effective.

Very good book. A must for all in management positions in the military, as well Americas first responders. No real secrets, however, the lay out fo the book along with the authors twists on the topics make it very educational and easy to read. Good for all LEO supervisors.

Found this book to be informative, although a bit on the dry side. I especially enjoyed the key points at the end of each chapter. Contains the basics of building a team and what the expectations should be for each team member.