My Navy Too


Book Description

A novel in letters tells the stor of a woman's life in the U.S. Navy and her gradual coming out as a lesbian.




Make Your Bed


Book Description

Based on a Navy SEAL's inspiring graduation speech, this #1 New York Times bestseller of powerful life lessons "should be read by every leader in America" (Wall Street Journal). If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world," he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better. Admiral McRaven's original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life's darkest moments. "Powerful." --USA Today "Full of captivating personal anecdotes from inside the national security vault." --Washington Post "Superb, smart, and succinct." --Forbes




It's Your Ship


Book Description

The legendary New York Times bestselling tale of top-down change for anyone trying to navigate today's uncertain business seas. When Captain Abrashoff took over as commander of USS Benfold, it was like a business that had all the latest technology but only some of the productivity. Knowing that responsibility for improving performance rested with him, he realized he had to improve his own leadership skills before he could improve his ship. Within months, he created a crew of confident and inspired problem-solvers eager to take the initiative and responsibility for their actions. The slogan on board became "It's your ship," and Benfold was soon recognized far and wide as a model of naval efficiency. How did Abrashoff do it? Against the backdrop of today's United States Navy, Abrashoff shares his secrets of successful management including: See the ship through the eyes of the crew: By soliciting a sailor's suggestions, Abrashoff drastically reduced tedious chores that provided little additional value. Communicate, communicate, communicate: The more Abrashoff communicated the plan, the better the crew's performance. His crew eventually started calling him "Megaphone Mike," since they heard from him so often. Create discipline by focusing on purpose: Discipline skyrocketed when Abrashoff's crew believed that what they were doing was important. Listen aggressively: After learning that many sailors wanted to use the GI Bill, Abrashoff brought a test official aboard the ship-and held the SATs forty miles off the Iraqi coast. From achieving amazing cost savings to winning the highest gunnery score in the Pacific Fleet, Captain Abrashoff's extraordinary campaign sent shock waves through the U.S. Navy. It can help you change the course of your ship, no matter where your business battles are fought.




Coaching for Leadership


Book Description

The world's greatest coaches come together to provide a comprehensive look at how modern coaching is taking over as the management style of choice. With contributions from today's thought leaders: Nancy J. Adler, John R. Alexander, David Allen, Judith M. Bardwick, Richard Beckhard, James A. Belasco, Chip R. Bell, Roger Chevalier, Thomas Crane, Bert Decker, Alan Fine, Joe Folkman, Alyssa M. Freas, Robert Fulme, r Marshall Goldsmith, Don Grayson, Victoria A. Guthrie, Bill Hawkins, Tom Heinselman, Paul Hersey, Maya Hu-Chan, Julie Johnson, Beverly L. Kaye, James M. Kouzes, Kerry Larson, Richard J. Leider, Bruce Lloyd, Laurence S. Lyons, Carlos Marin, Howard Morgan, David Noer, Tom Pettey, Elizabeth Pinchot, Gifford Pinchot, Barry Z. Posner, Alastair Robertson, Edgar H. Schein, Deepak Sethi, Jeremy Solomons, Iain Somerville, Liz Thach, Roosevelt Thomas, Jr., David Ulrich, Cathy Walt, Robert Witherspoon Pfeiffer 350 Sansome Street, 5th Floor San Francisco, CA 94104-1342 (415) 433-1740; Fax (415) 433-0499 (800) 274-4434; Fax (800) 569-0443 www.pfeiffer.com Business/Management ISBN 078795517-5 Barcode Put coaching into practice in your organization! Executive coaching is dramatically increasing in popularity. Leaders around the world are both using coached and becoming coaches. But, the understanding of what executive coaching is and how it can increases leaders' effectiveness has not grown as fast as the application of this process. Coaching for Leadership: How the World's Greatest Coaches Help Leaders Learn brings together the best executive coaches to give the reader an understanding of how coaching works, why it works, and how leaders can make the best use of the coaching process. "Finally, coaching put into perspective-the art, the science, the impact-all expertly explained in one place! Coaching for Leadership is a must read for anyone interested in maximizing the success of themselves and their organization."— Richard Amabile, senior director, executive development, Enron Corporation "Coaching has become one of the key competencies of successful leaders who recognize their duty to develop others. This book is an indispensable item in the executive library as it combines leading edge thought, clarity and, most important of all, real practicality."— David Bannister, director, international human resource development, KPMG UK "Coaching for Leadership provides you with the opportunity to access the best of the best. Their collective insights and advice represents a benchmark framework for those who coach or are responsible for developing the skills of coaches."— Charles J. Corace, director, management education development, Johnson Johnson




My Navy


Book Description

Clay Westfall's decision to join the Navy over thirty years ago wasn't an easy one. He had no idea what adventures were in store for him, and now, looking back, we can see how it was not only a good decision, but it was the key ingredient for a lifetime's worth of wonderful experiences. This book doesn't just tell you a story, it allows you to live through him, and experience the world through his eyes. So, grab a cup of Joe and settle into your favorite chair. These are going to be stories to remember...




Navy SEAL Dogs


Book Description

Before there was Max, there was Mike. A true story much like the touching movie, Navy SEAL Dogs explores the incomparable relationship between trainer and military dog. From the author of Team Dog, Trident K9 Warriors gave readers an inside look at the Navy SEAL teams' elite K9 warriors-who they are, how they are trained, and the extreme missions they undertake to save lives. From detecting explosives to eliminating the bad guys, these powerful dogs are also some of the smartest and highest skilled working animals on the planet. Mike Ritland's job is to train them. This special edition re-telling presents the dramatic tale of how Ritland discovered his passion and grew up to become the trainer of the nation's most elite military working dogs. Ritland was a smaller-than-average kid who was often picked-on at school-which led him to spend more time with dogs at a young age. After graduating BUD/S training-the toughest military training in the world-to become a SEAL, he was on combat deployment in Iraq when he saw a military working dog in action and instantly knew he'd found his true calling. Ritland started his own company to train and supply working and protection dogs for the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, and other clients. He also started the Warrior Dog Foundation to help retired Special Operations dogs live long and happy lives after their service. Navy SEAL Dogs is the true story of how Mike Ritland grew from a skinny, bullied child, to a member of our nation's most elite SEAL Teams, to the trainer of the world's most highly skilled K9 warriors.




Turn the Ship Around!


Book Description

“One of the 12 best business books of all time…. Timeless principles of empowering leadership.” – USA Today "The best how-to manual anywhere for managers on delegating, training, and driving flawless execution.” —FORTUNE Since Turn the Ship Around! was published in 2013, hundreds of thousands of readers have been inspired by former Navy captain David Marquet’s true story. Many have applied his insights to their own organizations, creating workplaces where everyone takes responsibility for his or her actions, where followers grow to become leaders, and where happier teams drive dramatically better results. Marquet was a Naval Academy graduate and an experienced officer when selected for submarine command. Trained to give orders in the traditional model of “know all–tell all” leadership, he faced a new wrinkle when he was shifted to the Santa Fe, a nuclear-powered submarine. Facing the high-stress environment of a sub where there’s little margin for error, he was determined to reverse the trends he found on the Santa Fe: poor morale, poor performance, and the worst retention rate in the fleet. Almost immediately, Marquet ran into trouble when he unknowingly gave an impossible order, and his crew tried to follow it anyway. When he asked why, the answer was: “Because you told me to.” Marquet realized that while he had been trained for a different submarine, his crew had been trained to do what they were told—a deadly combination. That’s when Marquet flipped the leadership model on its head and pushed for leadership at every level. Turn the Ship Around! reveals how the Santa Fe skyrocketed from worst to first in the fleet by challenging the U.S. Navy’s traditional leader-follower approach. Struggling against his own instincts to take control, he instead achieved the vastly more powerful model of giving control to his subordinates, and creating leaders. Before long, each member of Marquet’s crew became a leader and assumed responsibility for everything he did, from clerical tasks to crucial combat decisions. The crew became completely engaged, contributing their full intellectual capacity every day. The Santa Fe set records for performance, morale, and retention. And over the next decade, a highly disproportionate number of the officers of the Santa Fe were selected to become submarine commanders. Whether you need a major change of course or just a tweak of the rudder, you can apply Marquet’s methods to turn your own ship around.




Shift Your Mind


Book Description

Greatness isn't just about what you do. It's about when you do it. Elite performers don't rely on talent alone. Rather, they harness the power of shifting between complimentary mindsets--one for preparing effectively and one for delivering when it counts. In Shift Your Mind, you'll learn nine key mental shifts to elevate your preparation and your performance like an elite performer. You'll understand the importance of each of these shifts and when to make them: - humility and arrogance - work and play - perfectionism and adaptability - analysis and instinct - experimenting and trusting process - discomfort and comfort - future and present - fear and fearlessness - selfishness and selflessness Drawing on years of experience working with top athletes and corporate leaders, Brian Levenson outlines his simple but powerful framework used by the world's highest achievers. Each chapter includes exercises to reinforce core concepts and explore the power of the shift using skills like visualization, mindfulness, and self-talk. An energizing read filled with entertaining stories and tips that really work, Brian Levenson's Shift Your Mind is a game-changer for executives, competitive athletes, and any performer seeking to win on the most challenging field of all: the mind.




Black Officer, White Navy


Book Description

Black Officer, White Navy is likely the first memoir of a Black naval officer who rose from high school dropout to unrestricted line officer in the post-Vietnam War era. The author's unique career path and insightful analysis of both his personal experiences and those of others in the military give a clear picture of what was happening both within and outside the Navy, and how the forces of discrimination and institutional denial and damage control efforts can make a career in the military fraught with obstacles, as well as opportunities, for a well-qualified minority of any gender, race, or ethnic origin. Recent events and the impact of the commander in chief's statements and actions, which have a direct impact on the thinking and behavior of persons in uniform, make this a timely addition to any military member's library. It is full of potential case study material for any military instructional or group facilitation activity, as well as providing an historical overview of what it was like to be a minority sailor or officer between 1975 and the mid-1990's. Any sailor in uniform, regardless of pay grade or commissioned status, can both benefit and learn lessons from this work. Families can use this work to prepare their own loved ones or to help them try to understand the often lingering consequences of their loved one's military service.




Trident K9 Warriors


Book Description

An insider's account of the world of elite Navy SEAL military canines traces the author's international search for eligible dog combat unit candidates with whom SEAL handlers eventually forged close bonds and saved countless lives.