Floyd Woodrow - Elite!: The Secret to Exceptional Leadership and Performance

The Secret to Exceptional
Leadership and Performance

Floyd Woodrow and Simon Acland

First published 2012 by Elliott and Thompson Limited
27 John Street, London WC1N 2BX
www.eandtbooks.com

ISBN: 978-1-908739-45-2
EPUB ISBN: 978-1-908739-46-9

Text Simon Acland and Floyd Woodrow 2012

Extract from British Defence Doctrine (pp. 2345) reproduced by kind permission of the Ministry of Defence

The Authors have asserted their right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Authors of this Work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Printed and bound in the UK by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon CR0 4YY

Typeset by PDQ Media

Illustrations by Tilly Crawley

Extract on page 145 Patrick Lencioni, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A leadership fable (San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass, 2002)

Extracts on pages 201, 203,205 Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why some companies make the leap ... and others dont (New York: Random House Business, 2001) Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders for extracts used within this book. Where this has not been possible, the publisher will be pleased to credit them in future editions.

I have always been fascinated by individuals, teams and organisations that truly perform at the highest levels. I have worked alongside some extremely talented people, and there is no doubt in my mind that there are core principles that weave their way like a golden thread through the minds, bodies and behaviours of those exceptional individuals. As I have discovered these principles, I have wondered why they had not been taught to me at a much earlier age. In this book, I highlight the elements which have had the most impact on my life and which remain a constant feature of the teams and organisations that truly perform at an elite level.

Floyd Woodrow

Floyd offers an insightful and inspirational guide to leadership and team building at the highest levels.

Sean Fitzpatrick, former New Zealand All Blacks captain

Floyd is a game-changer, able to create successful teams and environments that pursue excellence. I value the advice he gives and commend this book to you.

Andy Flower, England cricket coach

Having had the privilege of getting to know Floyd Woodrow over the past eight years, I am not surprised that he and Simon Acland have written such a superb book, which will help others understand the skills and attitudes that are needed to be a great leader and team player. I was gripped with the fictional tale, based on Floyds experience working in the SAS, and appreciated how the writers skilfully wove relevant personal experience into the text, to help the reader grasp the underlying concepts of elite leadership. The books greatness lies in its authenticity: there is a complete match between Floyd the man and what he is writing about. I have no hesitation in commending Elite as an essential read for anyone who wants to understand the secret to exceptional leadership and performance.

Dr Neil Hawkes
Founder, International Values Education Trust (IVET)

A compelling read that is a mirror image of the author insightful, imaginative and, without a doubt, inspirational.

Bernard Hogan-Howe
Metropolitan Police Commissioner

Floyd Woodrow hasnt just talked the talk, hes fought it. These are real life lessons drawn from the heat of the moment, prepared for in advance. Thats what makes this book special.

Roger Lewis
Group Chief Executive, Welsh Rugby Union

I have come to know Floyd Woodrow well through the valuable work he has undertaken with me and my leadership team in BT Global Services UK. As a Gartner Magic Quadrant player in global telecommunications markets we can only maintain our position of global leadership within our industry by being the best at what we do. This also means leading ourselves, each other and our people, not just to be the best, but to redefine what being the best means. This is what Floyd helps us to do. Like Floyd and Simon Acland, we also come from contrasting backgrounds and have followed different paths on our journeys to where we are now. With Floyds help we have learned to understand ourselves and each other and to harness our strengths as individuals and teams to both achieve and stretch our objectives. This book is not a replacement for having Floyd beside you; but for those interested in his unique approach, it provides a clear understanding of the critical link he draws between personal performance and leadership. I recommend the book highly and would encourage both senior and middle managers to learn the lessons it offers in how to lead and contribute to high-performing leadership teams.

Emer Timmons
President, BT Global Services UK

Combining front-line experience and detailed research, this is an excellent guide on leadership and building successful teams.

Gregor Townsend MBE
Head Coach, Glasgow Warriors

There are a number of people I must thank in the writing of this book:

Dr Rob Kennett, one of the worlds best negotiators; Richard Cross, who has helped me understand the entrepreneurial side of leadership; and of course Simon Acland, who has been a great foil to test my theories on leadership.

I would also like to thank KM, BM, SJ, VO, MC-S, RP, JS, CT, AF, MV, ST, GL, SW, NH, and RL, who are outstanding examples of military, police, sporting and business leaders.

Finally, of course my family: my wife Sue and our wonderful children, Joe, Rhiannon and Rosie, who have been there to support, challenge and inspire me, and continue to do so.

I would also like to add an extra thank you to my son Joe, who has been instrumental in making sure I stay in the red zone.

Floyd Woodrow

This is Floyd Woodrows book. It is built on his wisdom and experience. His are the stories that illustrate it, his the anecdotes that enliven it. My role has been to pull some of the words together, but I will have failed in that task unless it is Floyds voice that comes through in those words.

Except in this introduction, that is, because here this is me speaking, Simon Acland. There are two reasons for this: first, because I can introduce Floyd and say things about him which his natural modesty would prevent, and, second, because I want to explain why my own career would have been more successful if I had known thirty years ago what I now know from working on this book.

When Floyd was a boy he developed an unswerving ambition to join the Paratroopers. He could have excelled as a professional sportsman in many fields: boxing, rugby, rowing and others too. He has the necessary physique, the determination, the desire to win, the ability to practise relentlessly in the pursuit of excellence. If he had chosen this course, I am sure that he would now be a household name.

Instead he chose the Paras, for the simple reason that he believed that this was the career that posed the greatest challenges. It was more dangerous, more demanding and more arduous in many different ways. He felt that it would stretch him most. Aged eighteen, he did so well in his entrance tests that the Army tried to persuade him to join in a different role as an officer or an engineer. But Floyd was true to his ambition and remained determined to join the Paras at the bottom.