Character in Action: The U.S. Coast Guard on Leadership

If you think it is a primer on leadership, it is not. What it is... is a great book about an organization that serves incredible service to our country with very few people and very little money. Are people in the Coast Guard perfect? NO! And in spite of that, their HONOR, RESPECT, and DEVOTION TO DUTY help them pull together to make things work- often in spite of incredible odds!

Anyone will learn something from this book. Most of us can learn a lot from it, if we are willing to draw the parallels from this agency to our own business. The lesson is Character are compelling. To succeed, we all need to put the right people in the right place at the right time. Seems simple, but in practice, is very hard to do!

The book also provides analysis about today's Coast Guard Missions and their alignment with the purposes of the United States Government's purpose of being, as outlined in the preamble of the Constitution! The match between the two is startling! One can easily see why a Coast Guardsman is soooooo motivated as they are patriots and humantitarianists.

Good read & good sailing!


Great Book!   January 7, 2008
Cherie Morris (Colorful Colorado)
A must read for anyone that wants to know more about this great service.
Great insight into the workings of the US Coast Guard. Makes you appreciate what they do as the smallest of the military organizations. If you are considering entering the US Coast Guard, you have to read this!


review   July 5, 2010
Michael A. Holliman (memphis, tn)
This is a great book discussing the Coast Guard's characteristics on leadership. It gives examples, stories, and an outline of what seperates this organization from others.


Right book at the right time   July 20, 2005
T. W. Schankweiler III (Baltimore, MD)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

I was provided a copy of the book when I became a contractor for the USCG. Having a military background already, I was interested in the military history of the USCG. This book has provided me with a glimpse into the mission of the USCG and its leadership style. There are many heart-warming stories of real life heroes that inspire one to the esprit-de-corp that the military resonates.

If your looking for a turnkey book on leadership this is not it, but if you are looking for ways to inspire people, and to refine your own personal style than this book is definitely what you are looking for. It is food for thought.

Hope you have found this review helpful.

Tom


Worth reading and a couple bucks   February 12, 2005
cpd96707 (Honolulu)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I thought that this book was definitely worth reading. It was a very easy read, and offered some useful insight. It did a great job characterizing the organizational culture of the USCG.

After reading some of the other reviews, I feel it is necessary to say that this book was written by an person who oversaw an organization on a macro level. It is a book about executive level leadership, not functional level leadership.

In total, it consisted of nothing more than a typical book about leadership - touchy feely advice...shoulds and should nots...yada yada yada. There were some unique ideas presented in this book compared to other leadership books. Again, it was a really easy read...definitely worth a couple bucks and the few hours it takes to read it.