Character in Action: The U.S. Coast Guard on Leadership (Hardcover)

by Donald T. Phillips (Author), James M. Loy (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
How does the U.S. Coast Guard create, instill, and maintain leadership throughout a 40,000 member force spread across the United States? A former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and a best-selling author combine their knowledge of the subject to offer a formula for success. Donald T. Phillips, who has written eight books on leadership, asserts that the Coast Guard is a superlative example of an organization with effective leadership, loaded with leaders at all levels. From a guardsman scraping barnacles off buoys in the Gulf of Mexico to the captain of a cutter in the Gulf of Alaska to the Commandant in Washington, they know exactly what leadership is, how it works, and why it is important. This case study in leadership uses the Coast Guard as an example for other organizations who want to imbue leadership to every single one of its members. An effective leadership beacon, the book is replete with tangible examples, vivid anecdotes, and explicit guidelines on how to instill leadership throughout an entire organization. Stories abound on Coast Guard efficiency, innovation, and heroism and many are used to illustrate the service's effectiveness and to engage the reader. From the military and government communities to the business world, a variety of organizations can benefit from this outstanding leadership guide. 5 x 8 inches.

About the Author
Donald T. Phillips is the author of the bestsellers Lincoln on Leadership and Martin Luther King Jr. on Leadership, and has appeared on leading television and radio programs. Admiral James M. Loy, Commandant of the Coast Guard from 1998 to 2002, was recently appointed Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, a new federal agency charged with providing security for the nation's transportation system.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press; 1 edition (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591146720
• ISBN-13: 978-1591146728
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #291,737 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you don't like it, re-read it!, February 20, 2004

By A Customer

This is an incredibly good book. If you really did not like it.... Re-read it! You missed something!

If you think it is a primer on leadership, it is not. What it is... is a great book about an organization that serves incredible service to our country with very few people and very little money. Are people in the Coast Guard perfect? NO! And in spite of that, their HONOR, RESPECT, and DEVOTION TO DUTY help them pull together to make things work- often in spite of incredible odds!

Anyone will learn something from this book. Most of us can learn a lot from it, if we are willing to draw the parallels from this agency to our own business. The lesson is Character are compelling. To succeed, we all need to put the right people in the right place at the right time. Seems simple, but in practice, is very hard to do!

The book also provides analysis about today's Coast Guard Missions and their alignment with the purposes of the United States Government's purpose of being, as outlined in the preamble of the Constitution! The match between the two is startling! One can easily see why a Coast Guardsman is soooooo motivated as they are patriots and humantitarianists.

Good read & good sailing!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Right book at the right time, July 20, 2005

By	T. W. Schankweiler III (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was provided a copy of the book when I became a contractor for the USCG. Having a military background already, I was interested in the military history of the USCG. This book has provided me with a glimpse into the mission of the USCG and its leadership style. There are many heart-warming stories of real life heroes that inspire one to the esprit-de-corp that the military resonates.

If your looking for a turnkey book on leadership this is not it, but if you are looking for ways to inspire people, and to refine your own personal style than this book is definitely what you are looking for. It is food for thought.

Hope you have found this review helpful.

Tom

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading and a couple bucks, February 12, 2005

By	cpd96707 (Honolulu) - See all my reviews

I thought that this book was definitely worth reading. It was a very easy read, and offered some useful insight. It did a great job characterizing the organizational culture of the USCG.

After reading some of the other reviews, I feel it is necessary to say that this book was written by an person who oversaw an organization on a macro level. It is a book about executive level leadership, not functional level leadership.

In total, it consisted of nothing more than a typical book about leadership - touchy feely advice...shoulds and should nots...yada yada yada. There were some unique ideas presented in this book compared to other leadership books. Again, it was a really easy read...definitely worth a couple bucks and the few hours it takes to read it.