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[url]http://astore.amazon.com/etrooperbooks/detail/0071450130/102-7414794-141...

This is what the publisher has to say.

[quote]In today's superheated business climate, executives and managers are under increasing pressure to squeeze every last drop of productivity out of their people. Built around inspiring stories from both the military and business worlds, Leadership Lessons of the Navy SEALS outlines a step-by-step approach to boosting morale and increasing productivity in any business organization.[/quote]

This book was written by two brothers. One a businessman and the other a Navy Seal officer. They explain many of the issues management faces on a daily basis and steps to correct them. I revist this book about once a year to capture additional information.

AManagerTool's picture

The picture in my head of my employee's running into the freezing water carrying me and a bullhorn on a rubber raft just made my day.

sfsales's picture

[quote="AManagerTool"]The picture in my head of my employee's running into the freezing water carrying me and a bullhorn on a rubber raft just made my day.[/quote]

Theres a statement in the book, maybe more of a question. Something to the fact a 5 man team of SEALS can execute a mission that changes history so why cant a sales team of 10 hit their goals?

timnewhard's picture

:o I have not read the book you recommended, and maybe this is a little tongue and cheek, but I have had 2 Marine bosses and they were both horrible. I realize that the SEALS are far better trained. How do their leadership tactics differ from any other branch of the military?

Mark's picture
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Oooh, this is interesting. :wink: Sorry you had bad Marine bosses - I can assure you, they are an exception.

The differences in Marine and Army and Navy and Seals is negligible once translated to the public, profit world.

Mark

cowie165's picture

Mark do you know of any resources that would help the transition of military officer to the public, profit world?

Did you guys just jump in the deep end or did you have help along the way?

Those poor Air Force bosses. Notable by omission ;) TIC

pneuhardt's picture

I work in a matrix environment (brief pause while Mark and Mike shudder) where my principal internal customer is a VP in another division of the company. He is a Marine who had 12 years in before moving to the civilian world 14 years ago. He is one of the most effective managers I've ever worked with or for.

Beyond that, this man is a leader. He knows the operations of his business unit inside and out, and yet he almost never tells anyone what to do. He makes sure everyone understands where we are, where we want to be and why we want to be there. He provides his vision for how to make that journey and then he steps back and lets us do it. He told me that the only significant leadership lesson he learned in the Marines was "Direct orders are for combat operations, insubordination, new recruits and delivering public policy. For everything else, define the job and let good people do that job. And the best part of it is that not only is that the most effective way to lead, it's also the easiest."

And one interesting note: This guy is as close to the center of DISC model as anyone I've ever met. I've been working with him for 6 months now and the best way I can describe him is as a high I with some VERY strong D and C as well all wrapped up in the presentation style of a high S. I would love to have Mark get to know this guy and hear his take.

Mark's picture
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Mark-

I'm sorry this has taken me so long. I regret my absence.

(Paul - your guy is NOT in the center... he's just VERY adaptable.)

Are you talking about the transition itself (interviewing, etc.), or how to fit in in the corporate world, and what's different, and what's similar?

Again, my apologies.

Mark

timnewhard's picture

Paul --

I think our names are the same just spelled differently. Trivial? Yes. I never meet any Newhards outside of my family. I think I have the Ellis Island version of your name.

pneuhardt's picture

Mark,

This is why I wanted you to meet the guy! If I had to pick one quadrant to put him in, I would say D. But as you say, he's very adaptable and I'm still new at this DISC model. Either way, he's someone I'm glad I work with and I am doing my best to learn from.

pneuhardt's picture

Tim,

It is possible, although I have always been led to believe that my spelling was the original German and the various "New-" variants were the anglicised versions. Feel free to drop me a line on my email address if you would like to discuss this further. I'm always curious to meet someone with the same or similar surname. It is a very rare one, at least in this country.

cowie165's picture

[quote="mahorstman"]
Are you talking about the transition itself (interviewing, etc.), or how to fit in in the corporate world, and what's different, and what's similar?
[/quote]

Mark I'm asking about fitting into the corporate world. You and Mike are covering interviewing etc. but I don't feel that military skills transition well to outside. After ten years I feel that any management strengths I may have are likely to be overshadowed by a deficiency in finance/HR/legal/OH&S and so on.

Right now I'm at a cross road: take a career/promotion post or a military management consultant post (providing specialist advice to LTCOL and above)(and develop those weak areas).

I understand you're not Dr Phil here, offering free advice, but if you had a few pearls of wisdom or other resource that helped you guys prepare for the move, I'd love to hear about it! Cheers.

timnewhard's picture

Paul,

I meant that I had the anglicized version of your name. Sorry about that.
I understand that there is a string of pharmacies somewhere east of the Mississippi called Newhard Pharmacies. I think the way yours is spelled is aesthetically cooler.

I wonder if we are distantly related?

pneuhardt's picture

Tim,

Could be. My great-grandfather left W. Virginia for the Panhandle of Texas in the 1920s. He was born in Kansas. Contact me at the email listed at the end of my post (there is an icon for it at the bottom of my post) if you want to compare notes.

Paul