General James Mattis USMC once said, “The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.” If you have people under your charge, then you are duty-bound to think—to make well-considered decisions based on a studied knowledge base. Military leadership is unique because ill-considered decisions send soldiers to their deaths. Leaders cannot blindly follow instructions or even orders.
Recently, I received a copy of My Green Notebook: ‘Know Thyself’ Before Changing Jobs. Between all the self-help options, I have struggled to find a means to help me start a self-reflection routine. If you are looking for a way to jump start your self-reflection program and gain accountability, this guide is absolutely necessary. Over the course of thirty days the prompts help make self-reflection a quick and easy habit focused on daily improvement.
Experiences shape people and training is a form of experience. It prepares us for the rigors of war. But we can’t fully comprehend the hardships that combat brings until we are in it. War is an experience unlike any other. Thankfully, we aren’t bound to our own experiences. Leaders can, and should, learn from the experiences of others. Former Secretary of Defense, Jim Mattis once said that, “[people] have been fighting on this planet for 5000 years and we should take advantage of their experience.” Col. Retired Jimmy Blackmon once again contributes to that grand tradition of storytelling and gifts us his experiences. His new book, Cowboys Over Iraq, is gritty, honest, and high-energy.
In the post-World War II era, the United States has enjoyed a near faultless tactical dominance and overmatch against its enemies. And yet, in that time we have, at perhaps equal rate, failed to “win the peace” in the post-war/kinetic environment. In the Post 9/11 era this has become status quo, a constant in U.S. combat operations. The shift from Afghanistan in 2003, “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq, and a whole host of other U.S. incursions overseas have left many scratching their heads. How can a global superpower win so spectacularly at the tactical-level and yet come-up short so often in the strategic ends? That is exactly what Lt. Col. Brendan Gallagher set out to discover in his recent book, The Day After: Why America Wins the War but Loses the Peace.
A move from coast-to-coast and a now long daily commute have combined to help in my 2018 book consumption. Audible has certainly been a game-changer too, making drives and PT hours double as “reading” time. Below is a list of the books I read this year, a top 10 list, and a focus on the books I highly recommend. In the interest of doing my part to further commercialism this holiday season, I’ve decided to cut-off my list and publish this post a little before the year is over. So whether you are looking to broaden your reading or put a book in the stocking of someone special this year, here is a post for you!
