The Man in the Arena collects self-contained excerpts from some of his greatest works, including such revealing memoirs as The Rough Riders, the Autobiography, and Through the Brazilian Wilderness, in an effort to capture the many aspects of a great American who was indeed larger than life and his own best “Boswell.” -Amazon Description

Recommended by Ed Hincheyl in Episode 5

As a commander of Delta Force-the most elite counter-terrorist organization in the world-Pete Blaber took part in some of the most dangerous, controversial, and significant military and political events of our time. Now he takes his intimate knowledge of warfare-and the heart, mind, and spirit it takes to win-and moves his focus from the combat zone to civilian life. 

As the smoke clears from exciting stories about never before-revealed top-secret missions that were executed all over the globe, readers will emerge wiser, more capable, and more ready for life’s personal victories than they ever thought possible.

http://www.amazon.com/Mission-Men-Me-Lessons-Commander/dp/0425236579/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433595429&sr=1-1&keywords=the+men+the+mission+and+me&pebp=1433595422271&perid=1Q9KGMHGTSVHH2VWDR99 

—Reviewed by Sid Heal 

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

John Boyd is often known exclusively for the so-called ‘OODA’ loop model he developed. This model refers to a decision-making process and to the idea that military victory goes to the side that can complete the cycle from observation to action the fastest.

This book aims to redress this state of affairs and re-examines John Boyd’s original contribution to strategic theory. By highlighting diverse sources that shaped Boyd’s thinking, and by offering a comprehensive overview of Boyd’s work, this volume demonstrates that the common interpretation of the meaning of Boyd’s OODA loop concept is incomplete. It also shows that Boyd’s work is much more comprehensive, richer and deeper than is generally thought. With his ideas featuring in the literature on Network Centric Warfare, a key element of the US and NATO’s so-called ‘military transformation’ programmes, as well as in the debate on Fourth Generation Warfare, Boyd continues to exert a strong influence on Western military thinking. Dr Osinga demonstrates how Boyd’s work can helps us to understand the new strategic threats in the post- 9/11 world, and establishes why John Boyd should be regarded as one of the most important (post)modern strategic theorists.

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Strategy-War-Strategic-History/dp/0415459524/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433594096&sr=1-1&keywords=science+strategy+an+war&pebp=1433594087006&perid=0BN4EPABEVKHJW16TXQZ

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

I was first introduced to this book because it was featured in a Marine Corps PX as recommended reading by the Commandant of the Marine Corps.  It can easily be read in one sitting but I found myself returning to ponder some aspect that was subtle but admired.  It is more than a century old now and at least thirty years since I read it the first time.  It is both interesting and inspiring with messages that apply to the professions of arms as well as the business community.  The setting is in Cuba during the Spanish/American War (1898).  The main character is Lt. Andrew Rowan, who is ordered by President McKinley to “carry a message to Garcia,” one of the insurgent guerilla leaders.  The narrative describes the challenges and trials of Rowan’s efforts, but what is not stated is even more poignant.   Rowan accepted and completed the assignment without burdening his superiors with countless details for which he accepted responsibility as part of the assignment.  For example, he did not even ask where Garcia was.  Without revealing more, this short (64 page) book has become a touchstone for the value of attributes like loyalty, dedication, courage, initiative, ingenuity and other critical traits that are treasured in all people, especially those whose professions require the best.

Interestingly, this book is based on a true story and was published as a “filler” without a title in the 1899 issue of the magazine “Philistine.”  It was promptly reprinted and has been translated into more than three dozen languages, selling more than 40,000,000 copies.  The phrase, “carry a message to Garcia,” is still a catchphrase in many military environments for the noble expectations of people carrying out dangerous and complex assignments without detailed supervision.  A great book for teaching and discussing those traits expected of the noblesse oblige.  It is in my own library next to the likes of “The Art of War,” “Duffer’s Drift,” 

“Rifleman Dodd,” and “The Book of Five Rings.”

http://www.amazon.com/Message-Garcia-Elbert-Hubbard/dp/1619493667/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433593669&sr=1-1&keywords=message+to+garcia&pebp=1433593660622&perid=1MWTYR9ZTT1X97QQVQF4 

—Reviewed by Sid Heal

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

Since the first edition of Managing the Unexpected was published in 2001, the unexpected has become a growing part of our everyday lives. The unexpected is often dramatic, as with hurricanes or terrorist attacks. But the unexpected can also come in more subtle forms, such as a small organizational lapse that leads to a major blunder, or an unexamined assumption that costs lives in a crisis. Why are some organizations better able than others to maintain function and structure in the face of unanticipated change?

Authors Karl Weick and Kathleen Sutcliffe answer this question by pointing to high reliability organizations (HROs), such as emergency rooms in hospitals, flight operations of aircraft carriers, and firefighting units, as models to follow. These organizations have developed ways of acting and styles of learning that enable them to manage the unexpected better than other organizations. Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition of the groundbreaking book Managing the Unexpected uses HROs as a template for any institution that wants to better organize for high reliability.

http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Unexpected-Resilient-Performance-Uncertainty/dp/0787996491/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433593545&sr=1-1&keywords=Managing+the+Unexpected&pebp=1433593536669&perid=10SG3D0XA8Q3XKZ9MB4X

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

“What’s happened to our leaders and to our leadership?” Based on General Zinni’s leadership experiences from the battlefield to the boardroom, Leading the Charge shows a new way through the significant leadership challenges of the 21st century. The times are changing at an ever-increasing velocity. Old systems, organizations, and ways of operating no longer work in our dynamic, complex and increasingly unstable new environment. Out of this chaos and confusion, a new and different leader must emerge. Old systems and methods will no longer work. Leading the Charge is a visionary leadership book that examines the trends that have reshaped our world and the ways in which visionary leaders and organizations can effectively respond. Tomorrow’s successful leaders – in all fields, including the military, academia, politics, and business – must know how to create, operate, and thrive in very fluid, flattened, and integrated structures that are remarkably different from the traditional organizations we are used to seeing. They will have to manage rapidly changing technology and flows of information, and create faster and more far-reaching spans of control. Leading the Charge shows the way, and is an incisive and compelling guide to the new world of leadership, one that will prove indispensable for years to come. Organized around “Leading a New World,” a revolutionary leadership course General Zinni developed and taught at the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University, Leading the Charge makes a convincing case that leaders must …- change with the times to be relevant. – be ready for crisis mode at any given time. – have a moral compass and the ability to steer the company in the right direction. – be forward thinking, not reactive, to provide innovation and creativity. – develop great leaders. 

http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Charge-Leadership-Battlefield-Boardroom/dp/0230103316/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433593456&sr=1-1&keywords=leading+the+charge&pebp=1433593447389&perid=1CVZ975BP962PZGS1D70 

—Reviewed by Sid Heal

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2

In Leadership and Training for the Fight, MSG Paul R. Howe, U.S. Army Retired, shares ideas on leadership that he has developed through extensive combat experience. Howe tells riveting stories of military operations and analyzes leadership concepts. He also gives advice on how to understand students and how to refine your teaching methods. Written with the unique insight of a Special Operations soldier, this book is the perfect guide for anyone interested in improving leader- ship skills in civilian or military situations.

http://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Training-Fight-Operations-Enforcement/dp/1616083042/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1433593390&sr=1-1&keywords=leadership+and+training+for+the+fight&pebp=1433593380952&perid=0Y0E1AYQKV073NY740AY

Recommended by Sid Heal in Episodes 1 & 2