Walter F. Ulmer Jr. - A Military Leadership Notebook: Principles into Practice

A
Military Leadership
Notebook

Principles into Practice

Walter F. Ulmer Jr.

Lieutenant General, US Army (Retired)
Former President and CEO, Center for Creative Leadership
With Foreword by General Barry R. McCaffrey

A MILITARY LEADERSHIP NOTEBOOK

PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE

Copyright 2017 Walter F. Ulmer Jr.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews, or for reproductions of charts and surveys for non-commercial use.

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ISBN: 978-1-5320-2675-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5320-2674-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017912431

iUniverse rev. date: 02/09/2018

Comments on the book

General Walt Ulmer shares a lifetime of living, learning and observing leadership on the battlefield, at the highest levels of the United States Army, and across large organizations and corporations. Through observations, stories, useful checklists, and practical suggestions, Walt Ulmer has provided a leadership notebook to be devoured with a highlighter and handwritten notes in the margin these are lessons one can return to often.

Frank C. Sullivan , Chairman and CEO, RPM International, Inc.

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We need to make sure the next generations of military leaders are exposed to this Notebook . It is an invaluable contribution to understanding the practical application of leadership principles. General Ulmer takes us through his journey by weaving together the best leadership practices he lived, both as senior military officer and CEO. His innovative tools, checklists, and concepts provide a clear, compelling, and remarkable resource invaluable to both military leaders and the ranks of the corporate world.

John F. Campbell, General, U.S. Army (Retired). Former Vice Chief of Staff and former Commander, U.S. Forces, Afghanistan.

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General Ulmers wisdom and tested experience form the essence of this exceptional work. He reveals managerial best practice and adds authenticity from proven leadership in both military and academic settings. His perspective, advice, and recommendations are valuable in all sectors of our society. Leaders who choose to be relevant in the 21 st Century need to put this book high on their reading list.

David M. Noer , DBA, Professor Emeritus of Business Leadership, Elon University. His books include Healing the Wounds: Overcoming the Trauma of Business Layoffs (1998 and 2016) and Revitalizing Downsized Organizations (2015.)

Comments on the book

This book is nothing less than a gift from General Walt Ulmer, a guru on leadership in organizations. It is that rarest of raritiesa marvelous blend of a lifetime of real-world experience and decades of tutoring, all presented in clear prose. It is unique, so distinct as to all but defy definition among the daunting list of other volumes on the topic. Ulmer labels it merely a cook book on organizational leadership. If so, he is the quintessential master chef. This book, a lasting legacy, should be in the knapsack of each new lieutenant, on the desks of all generals, and in the hands of everyone in between.

Dave R. Palmer , Lieutenant General, U.S. Army (Retired), former Superintendent, West Point. His books include George Washington and Benedict Arnold (2006), and 1794: America, Its Army, and the Birth of the Nation (1994).

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Every day at every location around the world where Army units serve, their leaders almost singularly will determine if our Soldiers and civilians serve proudly in an esteemed military profession, or whether they are just cogs in another big government bureaucracy. Leaders who follow the proven insights that Walt Ulmer has gathered for this book have a far better chance of maintaining the standards and traditions of Army professionalism, and the resulting effectiveness on which our republic depends.

Don M. Snider, PhD, retired Army officer, is Project Director of The Future of the Army Profession and a recognized leader on Army professionalism

Comments on the book

A Leadership Notebook: Putting Principles into Practice, is the most useful and comprehensive book on the theory, art, and practice of leadership that I have read in my thirty years of active Army service and my twenty years as a military historian. No one is as well suited for writing a military leadership manual. This book captures the fertile intersection of sound leadership theory and the demands of day to day operations. It is not a stretch to consider it in its field a work of practical genius.

James Scott Wheeler , PhD, Colonel U.S. Army (Retired) is a former professor of history at the U.S. Military Academy. His books include Jacob L. Devers: A Generals Life, and The Big Red One: Americas Legendary 1 st Infantry Division from World War I to Desert Storm.

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Service has been at the heart of Walt Ulmers remarkable career, and this book is his newest contribution to making the world a better place. The thought-provoking, practical wisdom that Walt draws from his military experiences will be of great benefit to business, education, and nonprofit leaders as well. His advice can accelerate our personal effectiveness and elevate performance in every sector.

John Ryan, Vice Admiral, USN, (Retired) is President and CEO of the Center for Creative Leadership and former Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy.

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All good leaders will embrace lessons found in this superb compilation of thoughts written by a true master of the art. Anybody reading what he writes will be the better for it. I remain in awe of his leadership techniques. The best year of my thirty-year Army career was spent beside Walt Ulmer.

John C. Bahnsen , Brigadier General, U. S. Army (Retired), is the highly-decorated Author of American Warrior: A Combat Memoir of Vietnam.

Comments on the book

This document contains a lifetime of wisdom, with an unusual way of thinking about the executives world. While generally wellschooled on governance and business models, senior leaders are often lacking in deep understanding of organizational systems. Consequently, most largescale organizations are unaware of the waste of precious energy arising from systemic disconnects.

In this book, Walt Ulmer shows how executives should think about these systems, and describes tools leaders can use to look for the energy leaks that sap organizational vigor and discourage subordinate engagement. While this book should be required reading for leaders at all levels, mastering its concepts is critical at the top. While many can see dysfunction, only senior executives can both see and fix .

T. O. Jacobs, PhD, is a former executive at the Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, and for years a consultant to the Army on assessment and training. A former Distinguished Visiting Professor of Behavioral Science at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, he is Senior Fellow, Executive Leadership Assessment and Development, the RBL Group.