No Excuse Leadership: Lessons from the U.S. Army's Elite Rangers

by Brace E. Barber

Book Overview

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...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471488038
• ISBN13: 9780471488033
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

rangers lead the way!

fantastic first hand accounts of real men, real situations, real reactions and emotions, and real about life situations....examines the attitudes and morality of the highly trained and highly skilled mindset. all leaders are on a mission, whether physical or mental: navigation, people skills, and the gut-check define every one of us at critical paths in life. hooah!

Great

I am a graduate of Ranger School Class 2-99 and I thought this was an excellent book on how individuals that read this book can apply their leadership skills to civilian and military occupations. For the longest time, it has been difficult for me to explain to friends, family, and fellow Army officers what Ranger School was about, other than it being totally miserable for 62 days. The individuals that shared their stories in this book are authentic because I remember the days they described. Brace Barber made this book interesting because he used other Soldier's points of view on Ranger School and how they perceived the lessons they learned about leadership. The Army claims Ranger School is the ultimate leadership school and I have to agree 100% with them. I plan to make it a requirement for my platoon leaders to read this book when I take command. RLTW!

A book to energize your approach to your job

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. While serving in the Air Force, Ranger training wasn't being offered on a wide basis at that time, but having served with Rangers on readiness exercises and in training (Hi Sgt. Jeff Wilson!), I knew that the Ranger's were representative of the type of organization I felt operated at a level that I would like to be a part of. This book is sort of like Tom Peters in BDU's and it is just that approach to ones mission (job)that sets Rangers and people with like mind-sets apart from the joker just showing up for the paycheck. At best, leadership is tough and having staff that aren't of the same mindset even after getting the OPORD, makes it that much tougher and demonstrates the need to cull the herd before mission compromise can occur. If you have the desire to be better than the rest and want some insight into moving a unit from point "A" to point "B" and beyond, this book is for you..even if you never served in any branch of the military.

Highly Recommnded!

Author and Army Ranger Brace E. Barber shows you how to make adversity hit the deck and give you 20 push-ups. His lessons on becoming a great leader are simple - stop thinking of yourself, learn to think of others, lead by example, persist in the face of adversity and so forth - but the process by which Army Rangers learn those lessons is complex and fascinating. Barber gives you insight into the brutal training that heroes such as the late Pat Tillman, the NFL star-turned-Ranger, endure for the cause of freedom. Barber profiles ten Rangers who applied lessons from their training to overcome difficulties. Readers see the circumstances under which these lessons were imprinted and deployed. In an age when people offer excuses as readily as business cards, Rangers believe the way to succeed is to stop making excuses. That's a valuable lesson in business and life. We highly recommends this book to those leading others through the hazards of business.

Best Book On Leadership I've Ever Read

Finally, a book on leadership based on truth and real life experience! If you read business books and are tired of MBA speak, pick this up and learn what it really takes to persevere, to challenge ones self and most importantly -- to set an example. It is no wonder that the Army has produced some of the greatest leaders in history -- they are learning this stuff while most of us are still deciding which happy hour to hit.I also like the way the book was organized. You learn first hand what it takes to succeed in a seemingly impossible set of physical, mental and emotional challenges. And you hear it directly from the Rangers themselves. The author then guides and offers advice on how to apply these same basic tenets to all aspects of your life. I had no prior knowledge of the military or Rangers specifically. This book is also excellent for anyone contemplating joining special forces within the Armed Forces. The next time I see a soldier with a Ranger tab, I'll know that he put his heart, soul and mind on the line for 61 days and a better persepctive on what it took for him to survive. I love Barber's No-Excuse method of leadership -- he's the kind of boss I'd enjoy working for.