The Habit of Excellence: Why British Army Leadership Works

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I have another friend known for her balanced and fair reporting of the news. She takes her work seriously, always concentrating on presenting both sides of a story. She has earned many awards and the respect of her peers for her commitment to excellence in her field. She is quite famous and greatly admired. She is also one of the most unpretentious people I know. Your unique strengths, talents, and abilities, then making the most of these gifts with every decision you make and action you take.

In reality, it's wonderful to realise that we are just human beings at the end of the day, with flaws as well. Learn something new daily by updating your knowledge, by staying informed, by reading books, and by developing new skills. The first step in replacing a bad habit is to give the new desired action a name that describes it. For example, if you have a bad habit of procrastinating, you might call your desired action “Meet Deadlines” and promise yourself, “I will finish all projects at least one day before the deadline.”This behavior is certainly not a productive way to act, and if we repeat it, it’s a bad habit. The challenge is to replace that loop with a positive habit through a concept I call the “excellence attitude loop.” An extraordinary read for any leader. Truly brilliant' General Stanley McChrystal, author of Team of Teams Emmy® Award-winning actor and speaker Max Howard shares the secrets of America’s great theatre ensembles and the star performers who lead them. These are principles learned over 40 years in one of the most competitive, change-driven, stress-filled, financially insecure, emotionally unstable businesses in the world—the professional theatre. The lady at the espresso bar looks tired this morning. As I stir up my brew, she comes from behind the counter for a break.

What are some of the principles of leadership in the Army? What is the difference between being a peacetime leader and a wartime leader? And what does training for adversity look like? If you’re intrigued by the idea of using mind maps for self-improvement then I would like to invite you to become an IQ Matrix Member. To live a life in pursuit of excellence means associating with the right kinds of people. Surround yourself with: These are not easy questions to answer because excellence could very well be purely based on perception and the expectations that one holds of oneself in very specific situations. For instance, my definition of excellence in a particular situation could be very different when compared to your definition of excellence. And yet both of us could feel as though we are excelling, and yet only one of us will have the better results/outcomes from our actions. Therefore, does this mean that only one of us is excelling and the other is just fooling themselves? Or, do we both need to be in the top 5 percent in the world to attain excellence in any field of endeavor? Or is it the top 1 percent? Who knows? Who decides this? Or maybe excellence has absolutely nothing to do with us but is purely based on other people’s expectations. Therefore surpassing another person’s expectations immediately ascends us into the realms of excellence??? A terrific book - one that is full of insights and lessons that will be of enormous value to leaders in all fields! -- General David Petraeus, former Director of the CIA

World-class mentors who can provide you with the guidance and advice you need to make the right decisions. Developed in some of the most demanding situations imaginable over centuries of war and peace, army leadership is a sophisticated endeavour that has kept pace with societal change and the challenges of the modern world. In the military, the stakes couldn't be higher, and exceptional leadership is crucial every day.

Arguably, these factors combine to suggest that modern Army thinking has a high level of cognitive dissonance and an enduring self belief that has little in relation to the evidence. By focusing on the great leaders the writer forgets that most soldiers are normal leaders. It is these leaders who carry forward the habit of excellence Sharp identifies, but average behaviours are not examined. Shortcomings So let’s get started on this exploratory journey and identify what it really means to live a life of excellence. The starting point for this is consistency of purpose. Leaders need to identify clear goals; articulate them through vision, mission and strategy; plan how to achieve them; and communicate this routinely and clearly across the organization. The British Army stands or falls on the quality of its leadership. The stakes couldn't be higher. In The Habit of Excellence, Lieutenant Colonel Langley Sharp MBE - head of the Centre for Army Leadership, part of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst - distils over three centuries of the Army's experience in the art, science and practice of leadership. Excellent. It's hard to see how any leader, whatever their field, wouldn't benefit from reading and rereading it Ed Smith, New Statesman

An extraordinary read for any leader. Truly brilliant General Stanley McChrystal, author of Team of Teams This book is so impactful. If you want to become a better leader, read this book -- Eddie Jones, Head Coach, England national rugby union team

One trait of effective leadership is giving due respect to different types of knowledge: what is learned in the abstract as well as what is acquired from experience. There should always be two-way traffic, with theory and practice challenging and refreshing each other. Appropriately, there are two statues above the famous steps of Old College at Sandhurst: Mars and Minerva, god of war and the goddess of wisdom. This very readable book uncovers the skills and qualities that have made Sandhurst a byword for effective leadership. I could not recommend this exceptional book more' General The Lord David Richards, former Chief of the Defence Staff When you think about the core purpose of the Army, it’s about fighting wars and delivering on operations in the most extreme environments when individuals are pushed to their limits, both mentally and physically. Interestingly enough, the people that have the habit of procrastination are perfectionists. Why is that?

Excellent. It's hard to see how any leader, whatever their field, wouldn't benefit from reading and rereading it -- Ed Smith * New Statesman *