No Excuse Leadership E-Book

Brace E. Barber

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 578

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Beschreibung

Every organization needs good leadership in order to win against the competition. Through his own personal story and those of nine other Rangers, Barber illuminates fundamental lessons about what it really takes to win. These first-person accounts of trial and triumph highlight the importance and the inherent truth of the Army's most fundamental leadership principles: seeking and taking responsibility for your actions, and knowing yourself and seeking self-improvement. Adhering to those principles--and putting them at the core of your organization--will push you and your company to do more and do it better.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Foreword

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Introduction

Rangers

Patrolling

Principles

People

Why Barber’s Story?

Goals

I Had No Idea

Out of the Army

A Route Best Suited to My Goal

Special Note

RANGERS 1 - are PERSISTENT

The Decision

Be the Frog

Land Navigation

Ken of the Hill

Swamp Skirters

Prayer

In My Sleep

Persistence

Ranger Barber’s Walk

RANGERS 2 - are HUMBLE

Thanks for the Sign

What Are Your Actions and Orders

Revenge

Drop the Rope!

Listen to the Voices

Sleep with One Eye Open

Sleep with One Ear Open

RI Fun

Listen

First Desert Phase

Spirit of the Bayonet

No Excuse

Ranger Turner’s Walk

RANGERS 3 - are FOCUSED

Ranger Battalion

Another Injury

Desire above Sense

Tobacco and Big Mac

Just a Kid

Perspective

Pain

Beyond the Extra Mile

What You Gotta Do

No F-ing Way

She’s Breaking Up

Focus on Others

Ranger Faulkner’s Walk

RANGERS 4 - are DRIVEN

Evolution

Arrival

Overambition

Head Count

I Wasn’t Sleeping

Mail Call

Motivation

Spitoon

Friends, Family, and Food

Loser

Intent

Goal

Frame of Reference

Ranger Chandler’s Walk

RANGERS 5 - are INSTINCTUAL

Return to Arms

Ominous

Thanks

Back to Hell

From Weakness, Strength

A Different World

It Never Ends

Expectation of More

When I’m Tired

Good with Bad

Instinct

Perks of Proof

Ranger Stockwell’s Walk

RANGERS 6 - are HONEST

Environment

Veal Man

Human Skull

Tedious

Tigers’ Tails

Pull Out the Stops

Spooning

Lions

I Had Quit

Flight of Fancy

Play It Again

Put It on the Line

Limits

Ranger Bagley’s Walk.

RANGERS 7 are - SELFLESS

What Does It Mean?

Relax

Unfair Fight

Good Star

Keep Outside

Promises

Semihappiness

Adventures and Obstacles

Nine-Week Reality

Expect the Unexpected

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

Ranger Werner’s Walk

RANGERS 8 - are CONFIDENT

Be All That You Can Be

Leadership

To the End

Innovation

Suicide

In-Flight Relief

Decision Making

Bad Odds

Camaraderie

Skills That Translate

Ranger Hutt’s Walk

RANGERS 9 - are DUTIFUL

Destiny

Prep

Weeding

Ow

Low Points

Connections

Parachute Stir-Fry

Just Lucky, I Guess

Where’s the Truck?

We’ll Be Here All Day

Revolution

Self-Confidence

Five Senses

Positioning

Ranger Sharp’s Walk

RANGERS 10 - are DETERMINED

West Point to Ranger School

Prep

Ask Forgiveness, Not Permission

PT Test

The Worm Pit

Water Training

Only Two Ways Out, and Neither Is Good

Survival

Drive and the Proper Example

Ranger Adams’ Walk

Conclusion

Terms, Acronyms, and Definitions

Index

Corporate Leadership Training

Copyright © 2004 by Brace E. Barber. All rights reserved.

Portions of this book were previously published in Ranger School, No Excuse Leadership by Patrol Leader Press, April 2000.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone].

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. The publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services, and you should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone] or fax [phone].

Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

No excuse leadership: lessons from the U.S. Army’s elite Rangers/

[edited by] Brace E. Barber.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical reference and index.

ISBN 0-471-48803-8 (CLOTH)

1. Leadership. 2. Management. 3. United States. Army—Commando troops. I. Barber, Brace E.

HD57.7.N6 2004

658.4’092—dc21

2003014086

To my daughter, Tess Jenevieve Barber, whose death at birth on June 13, 1998, inspired me to put my pent-up energy of anticipated fatherhood into another dream.

Foreword

Rangers lead the way. Rangers have led the way throughout history and were anointed with the motto “Rangers lead the way” from their lead in getting the V corps GIs off the bloody beaches of Omaha during World War II on June 6, 1944, D-Day. Rangers have led and will continue to lead the way because of their mental and physical toughness developed during Ranger training. It is harsh, demanding, and relentless training, which produces a warrior-leader who sets the example for others, always leading the way. Proven throughout history, these training standards are still followed today. Roger’s Rangers raids during the French and Indian War; Darby’s Rangers up front in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy; Merrill’s Marauders’ exploits in Burma; the extraordinary feats of Ranger Battalions at Normandy and in the Philippines; Ranger companies always fighting out front and outnumbered during the Korean War; Ranger LRRP (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol) teams operating throughout the jungles of Vietnam; and up through the present day, Ranger Battalions accomplishing daring objectives in Grenada, Panama, “Desert Storm,” Somalia, Afghanistan, and “Iraqi Freedom” all were, and continue to be, successful because of the reliable and tough leadership base established during Ranger training. Ranger training makes a good soldier better. It is the finest leader training in the U.S. Army, providing a base of toughness, dependability, and resolve essential to combat leadership. Today, Ranger training is provided by the U.S. Army’s Ranger School, which awards the coveted Ranger tab to those who make the cut.

Brace Barber captures the commitment required for this hard and painful challenge of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger and the leadership value the training provides our officers, NCOs, and finest enlisted soldiers. He covers the essence of Ranger training in his comprehensive book No Excuse Leadership: Lessons from the U.S. Army’s Elite Rangers. Ranger training has never been easy, and Brace explains what it takes to become a Ranger in today’s forces. He highlights the essential component—stress—in training a leader to survive and to ensure his troops survive in combat; and why lack of food and sleep, continuous mission requirements, physical exhaustion and mental anguish, peer pressure, and teamwork integrated throughout Ranger training provide everything a soldier needs for war. Ranger School provides it all, aside from maybe the true fear that one must deal with under fire.

Ranger Barber brought back memories of my experiences as a second lieutenant 33 years ago during my training to become a U.S. Army Ranger—an achievement and distinction I wanted more than any other during my 30 years of service. I remember my ups and downs throughout the training, the emotional stress from failing a patrol (and passing one), pulling up my bootstraps and surviving injuries, the camaraderie developed in my Ranger squad, friendships forged from shared hardships, the value of teamwork, understanding that a GI could never get the sleep one needs during operations, always being hungry, and the elation of receiving the coveted black and gold Ranger tab.

Ranger training is not only inculcated throughout the Army, but Ranger veterans in the private sector also manifest it. Business leaders who have experienced Ranger training and service adapt rapidly to stressful situations, ambiguity, and uncertain environments. They bring to the business entity people who are reliable, tough, and determined, with a work ethic and duty mind-set cherished in the market economy. The Ranger standard and example setting continue outside of the armed forces.

Ranger training provided me with a bedrock of leadership principles, toughness, and a can-do attitude I carried throughout my military service. It did not matter if I was serving with Airborne or Air Assault; Light, Heavy, or Ranger Infantry; with Special Forces or Delta Force, it always provided that base of discipline, dependability, and toughness required to fight on to the objective and win.

Ranger Barber provides what you need to know and what you need to do to wear the Ranger tab. Read his book—and win.

—Brigadier General David Grange, retired

Acknowledgments

For the desire to go beyond, I thank God.

For the time to pursue No Excuse Leadership, and her constant belief in me, I thank my very special wife Natasha.

For an experience worth writing about, I thank all of the Ranger Instructors, both past and present.

For their willingness to test themselves and then allow me to candidly tell their stories, I thank Eric Faulkner, Lance Bagley, Eric Werner, W. John Hutt, David Stockwell, Steve Adams, Mark Chandler, Scott Sharp, and Colonel Robert “Tex” Turner.

For editing, I thank Kele Smith, Trista Wickstrum, Arthur Rizer, Bill Gameros, and Natasha Barber. For additional edits to this edition, I thank Larry Olson at John Wiley & Sons. For postpublication editing, I thank Patrick Gargan, William Schwartz, and many others.

For support of this project while it was just an idea and in its early development I thank Paul Voorhees of Ranger Joe’s in Columbus, Georgia (as large a part of Ranger School history as is Hollis Creek). Thanks to Ranger Jim Tully and everyone at Orion International (they guided me through the minefield of exiting the military). Thanks to Ellen Mohrman of the West Point Bookstore (a rare, gentle person who can keep this Ranger in check). Thanks to Ranger Pete Neves of Milspec Group, Inc. (a Web presence worthy of a loud “Hoo-ah!”). Finally, thanks to Ranger Bill “Peg Leg” Spies. If I had my choice of point man it would be Bill—a personal hero and founder of Worldwide Army Rangers (WAR).

About the Author

Brace E. Barber is cofounder of Tax Recovery Group, Inc. and The Tax Firm, Inc. He is a 1987 graduate of West Point and 1988 graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School. Through 11 years of distinguished military service, he led three combat arms platoons and two companies. He performed various other leadership and staff functions in locations as diverse as South Korea, Thailand, Honduras, Alaska, and Hawaii. He is a charter member of Worldwide Army Rangers (WAR) and a lifetime member of the U.S. Army Ranger Association (USARA).

Introduction

Use your time wisely! Watch the first 20 minutes of the movie so the rest of the plot makes sense. Yes, even if you miss the beginning, the explosions, car chases, and narrow escapes will still be entertaining, but you won’t completely know why they are happening. Use your time wisely! Read the first 20 pages of this book and you will add enormously to your experience.

No Excuse Leadership illustrates for leaders in all fields how to lead and succeed in difficult circumstances by using the leadership principles that the U.S. Army Ranger School experience helps people develop and that anyone can strive to master. Through the true stories of Ranger School graduates the book highlights these principles and also provides a comprehensive, ground-level description of Ranger School.

No Excuse Leadership is about personal foundations for individual leaders, and it is about providing a surprising and enlightening perspective on proven leadership principles and giving leaders concrete examples of how they work. It is not about transferring the military culture to a business! There is no reason you would want to. The language isn’t pretty, and people with fragile sensitivities don’t last. However, what businesses need today are people who understand why organizations like the Army Rangers succeed magnificently at their missions. They need to know the characteristics that shape these individuals and organizations and how they breed success. No Excuse Leadership gives readers a foundation of principles, purposes, and attitudes that they can begin using immediately to impact the long-term success of themselves and their organizations.

No Excuse Leadership will prompt you to be better and encourage you and your organization to enter into a campaign of improvement. There is no opting out of the leadership decision. You either develop yourself and your leaders through purposeful, planned effort or you choose the alternative—suboptimum performance and profit. In today’s elbow-throwing world, you need every advantage. Latent leadership potential is your gold mine and will provide your future margin of victory.