[March 4, 2019] Lately, I’ve been lucky. Several books have come across my desk and landed on my reading list that I truly liked. Books that make me think, give me pause, or reinforce those valuable contributions of leaders are worthy, and their value gives me a reason to write briefly about them. “Hal” Moore was a U.S. Army Infantryman and a hero. I wrote briefly about him shortly after his passing back in 2017 (link here). Hal Moore inspired me as a leader and, through his actions and written word, gave me a better understanding of leadership was about for the modern individual. This book was in part written by him and was an unfinished manuscript. His family and author Mike Guardia undertook a great task by taking the ideas of Moore and distilled them into this book. Along with Lt Gen Hal Moore’s book “We Were Soldiers Once … And Young,” we can get a better picture of this man’s thinking and thus his ability to succeed where so many failed. If you decide to read this book, you will enjoy it. I hope as much as I did.
Hal Moore on Leadership: Winning When Outgunned and Outmanned, Hal Moore and Mike Guardia, 2017.
Hal Moore never left a soldier behind. And so begins the basic leader philosophy that represents the military career of one of its most famous soldiers. The book is neither filled with platitudes or boring lectures. It is a very personal journey across the life of a U.S. Army officer and the leadership lessons he learned (and relearned) in each phase of his life. This book is a practical treatise on leading under great stress. Mike Guardia has done a good job of putting together Hal Moore’s’ “lessons learned” and creating a book worthy of this great man.
In Chapter One, Hal Moore lays out his four basic principles of leadership: 1) three strikes and you’re not out, 2) there’s always one more thing you can do to influence any situation in your favor, and after that one more thing, 3) when nothing is wrong, there’s nothing wrong – except there’s nothing wrong, that’s when a leader has to be the most alert, and 4) trust your instincts. He developed these four principles over his lifetime and successfully applied them; noting that these apply to both the battlefield, the boardroom, and the home. Of these principles, the one that struck me the most valuable was the last one; trust your instincts. Instinct is the product of one’s personality, experience, reading, and education. When seconds count, instincts and decisiveness come into play.
Overall, another exceptional book and highly recommended.
To go to the full Professional Reading list, simply click on this direct link: www.theleadermaker.com/reading-list/
Side Note: Please remember and take a look at Tom Copeland’s reading blog. His website, which I highly recommend, can be found here: https://militaryreadinglists.com/map
Men like Hal Moore are rare. Unfortunately, too rare – those who prioritize their soldier’s lives and wellbeing. This is in great contrast to those who we see running (already for God’s sake) for election to the US presidency in 2020. They are the opposite of Hal Moore. They say, but don’t care about us. They say, but don’t want what’s in our best interest. And, they will do anything to divide people up by tribal makeovers that only put each other at odds. The latter we see with those politicians is a disgrace and what gives real leaders a bad name. I too read LT GEN Hal Moore’s book and found it a worthwhile read. Highly recommended on my list.
While the book will never be a classic, it certainly reinforces the important points about leadership. My favorite parts of the book are where Hal Moore shows us his experiences that demonstrate the veracity of leadership when you are outnumbered and outgunned.
Fred, you are correct. Leadership in everyday life is not always easy but when everything is turned against you (and your men) then it takes something extra special to win. Like a come-from-behind victory in sports, or recovering from a major natural disaster, or surviving combat on the battlefield when the odds are against you … these are the things that make us great. We should all pay closer attention to people like Gen Hal Moore.
This book is a fairly easy read. I have it on my recommended reading list for High School students. Since too much of today’s primary and secondary education is infected with political correctness and downright stupidity, I started a website that is targeted at teaching young people the REAL ways of the world.
Having a full life is what I see as being successful. That means family, God, and country. Hal Moore accomplished those things and thus he can only be judged a hero in any sense of the word. We all appreciate the recommendation to read his book. I ordered it this morning and look forward to reading it shortly.
I couldn’t agree more. Well said, Albert.
Agreed. You can read more about him at this link. If you want to know more about great leaders, it is a good idea to learn more about their lives. Not so much for entertainment but for truer understanding.
http://www.lzxray.com/articles/hal_moore_biography
You must know your priorities in life; something so many in America don’t
Great book by a great man. It is hard to say that LtGen Moore was “successful” because that implies he was a rich man. That he was rich is only true in the sense that he had a wonderful family, he took care of them, and that he also showed great courage in the face of death fighting America’s and the world’s enemy Communism.
Thank you for the review of recently deceased Hal Moore, an iconic hero of many of us in the US military. I read his book shortly after it came out. Mostly I read it because it was about General Hal Moore and gave his fundamental reasons to be successful. I liked it and also highly recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about leadership.
Thanks Army Captain for your positive review also. It may be no surprise to many readers of Gen. Satterfield’s blog that military folks – active and retired – would like the book. But I also read it and enjoyed and learned much from him. 🙂
If only there were more men in the world like General Hal Moore, the better off all of us would be. Truly a great American hero in every sense of the word.
Great point, Len.
I appreciate you reinforcing what Gen Satterfield has written that this is a book worth my time reading. I too, like many here, have significant responsibilities as a leader. Thus my time is limited. Reading Gen Moore’s book will be a pleasure and an honor.
Reinforcing Gen. Satterfield’s comments about this book is greatly appreciated, Army Captian. Thank you for your service and the fact that you take the time to comment on this blog.