Be-Know-Do: Leadership the Army Way

by U.S. Department of the Army, エリック シンセキ, リチャード キャバナー, et al.

Book Overview

The United States Army is one of the most complex, best run organizations in the world, and central to the Army's success are strong leadership and exceptional leadership development. Army leaders must be able to act decisively and effectively in challenging situations. But the Army, despite its organizational structure, does not train leaders in a hierarchical manner. Dispersed leadership is the key to the success of the Army leadership model. Now,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0787970832
• ISBN13: 9780787970833
• Release Date: March 2004
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

How to develop leaders who have character, competence, knowledge, and results-driven initiative

I recently re-read this book, curious to know to what extent its content remains relevant. My conclusion? It is even more relevant today than it was when first published in 2004. In Richard E. Cavanagh's Foreword, he recalls a discussion during dinner with Peter Drucker and Jack Welch who shared the same opinion that the United States military services do the best job developing leaders. What we have in this volume is an adaptation by Frances Hesselbein and General Eric K. Shinseki (USA Ret.) of Field Manual 22-100, Army Leadership, with assistance from Alan Shrader. Hesselbein and Shinseki also wrote the Introduction. The material is carefully organized within seven chapters, followed by a Conclusion that reviews the most important points, correctly noting the unique and compelling role that the U.S. Army has played since June 14, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized enlistment of riflemen to serve the United Colonies for one year. With regard to the book's title, "Army leadership begins with what the leader must Be, the values and attributes that shape a leader's character...People want leaders who are honest, competent, forward-looking, and inspiring...People willingly follow only those who know what they are doing. One of the quickest ways for a leader to lose trust and commitment of followers is to demonstrate incompetence...Character and competence, the Be and the Know, underlie everything a leader does. But character and knowledge - while absolutely necessary - are not enough. Leaders act; they Do...They solve problems, overcome obstacles, strengthen teamwork, and achieve objectives. They use leadership to produce results." I realize that these concepts seem simple. In one sense they are. However, in this context, I am reminded of what Oliver Wendell Holmes once said: "I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity." The challenge to any organization when developing leaders is to guide those involved to the other side of complexity." The composite of excerpts from Be-Know-Do identifies core concepts, to be sure, but it also describes the character, competence, knowledge, and results-driven initiative that the U.S. Army seeks to develop within every one of its soldiers, regardless of rank. "No one is only a leader; each person in an organization is also a follower and part of a team. In fact, the old distinction between leaders and followers has blurred; complex twenty-first-century organizations require individuals to move seamlessly from one role to another in an organization, from leadership to `followership,' and back again." Hesselbein and Shinseki are to be commended for their skillful adaptation of Field Manual 22-100, Army Leadership, but also for the inclusion within the narrative of relevant material from sources outside the U.S. Army organization. For example, they quote prominent business thinkers throughout the narrat

Everyone is a Leader

The world's benchmark with respect to leadership is the market driven capitalist company, however it seems they have lost their way when compared to the US Army. After you read this book you will be shocked to find out how far ahead of private business the US Army is in the area of Leadership. Ultimately the US Army has determined that in some fashion everyone that reports to you is also a leader and needs to be trained and respected as such. The US Army's leaders are actively developed at all levels so that they can lead and develop others - no lip service here.

Not Some Consultant's View

The United States Army is the largest training organization in the world. And among the subjects it teaches is leadership. The Army teaches leadership at all levels from the squad leader with only a few subordinates to generals with hundreds of thousands. With many years of studying leadership, the Army program nets down to the three words in the title of the book: Be - To be an effective leader you have to be the kind of person people want to follow. This comes down to almost the Golden rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Other words would be loyalty, integrity, personal courage; a good set of personal qualities that make a good person. Know - You have to know what you are asking subordinates to do. It's hard to lead people into doing things that you can't do yourself. Do - The old adage, Follow Me, summarizes the leaders point of view. You have to do, you have to show the way. This book is different from many that are available on bookstore shelves. Most books are written by consultants or trainers that have developed their own programs. This book takes as its foundatation what the Army has developed over meany, many years, practiced, and observed the result. The study of the results of leadership training in the Army is based on combat where the losers die, not just watching the sales charts. This book is different, but directly applicable to the business, research, academic world.

Highly Recommended!

Leadership often is assigned a mystical quality, as if people either possess the spark that makes others follow them, or they don't. Well, now you can lead without the innate spark. In fact, the U.S. Army sets out to prove that anyone can become a leader, as this engaging book from the Leader to Leader Institute explains. Using The Army Leadership Manual (abstract available from getAbstract) as its foundation, this volume demystifies leadership. Promisingly enough, this speedy read persuasively argues that being a leader requires little more than honesty and competence. Throw in an ability to communicate and a willingness to listen to your people, and you could become the next Patton, or at least a respected officer. This enlightening tome is a little thin on ways to turn its leadership development philosophy into action. Still, we recommend it to managers and to those who strive to become leaders.

Fresh perspective on a tried-and-true approach to leadership

This is definitely a cut above most management and leadership books. It is remarkably clear, useful and jargon-free. The authors, accomplished leaders in their own right, are not trying to sell a pet program. They take a framework from the world's foremost leadership development organization -- the US Army -- and bring it life with real insight and practical advice. A great tool for anyone who wants to "be, know or do" more in their work and lives.