Details

<p>Preface vii</p> <p>Acknowledgments xi</p> <p>Chapter 1 The Military Response to a Complex World: The New Value of Effective Execution 1</p> <p>Chapter 2 Basic Training: Indoctrinating Your People with Values and Skills 13</p> <p>Chapter 3 Team Alignment: Connecting the Troops with the Leader’s Intent 37</p> <p>Chapter 4 Mission Preparation: Moving from Strategy toward Accountable Actions 63</p> <p>Chapter 5 Battle Rhythm: On Track, On Target, and On Time 89</p> <p>Chapter 6 Continuous Improvement: The Debrief Imperative 119</p> <p>Chapter 7 Leadership on Purpose: Developing Teams and Leaders from Day One 143</p> <p>Chapter 8 The Courage to Execute: A Smart Bias toward the Right Action 163</p> <p>Appendix: Mission Checklists 171</p> <p>Bibliography 179</p> <p>Index 183</p>

<p><b>JAMES D. MURPHY</b> is Founder & CEO of Afterburner, Inc., one of the most dynamic training and consulting firms in the United States. A former Air Force F-15 pilot, he and his team of fighter pilots and Special Operations officers have used lessons distilled from the military's elite units to help thousands of major clients focus their strategy and adapt to change, improve team performance and business process, and develop leaders at all levels of their organization.

<p>How can elite U.S. military units consistently perform at such high levels, even in the midst of combat? What secrets do Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, and Blue Angels hold that give them the skills, ability, and confidence to execute their missions with such success? And what can these military professionals teach American business about teamwork, continuous improvement, and leadership? <p><i>Courage to Execute</i> unpacks the lessons of high-performing units and provides organizations of all types with a simple yet effective model distilled from these warriors. Author James D. Murphy, who leads a training and consulting firm of former military aviators and Special Operations officers, shares a multitude of personal leadership stories, along with examples from the battlefield and business. Together, they demonstrate how organizations, teams, and individuals can use a simple process based on military principles and tactics to develop the ability and confidence to achieve their goals. <p>You'll learn: <ul> <li>The value of effective execution</li> <li>How to develop common values and skills in your people</li> <li>How to align your troops with their leader's intent and the organization's goals</li> <li>How to move from organizational strategy toward accountable team and individual actions</li> <li>How to maintain your team's battle rhythm and your ability to execute, even in rapidly changing environments</li> <li>The importance of regular debriefing and continuous improvement</li> <li>How to develop teams and leaders from Day One</li> </ul> <p>Through stories of missions and exercises conducted by U.S. military units, Murphy demonstrates why simplicity combats complexity, how mutual accountability yields trust, and how adaptability and continuous improvement are cornerstones of successful battle plans. <p>Have the courage to dig in and transform your organization into a high-performance unit that has the skills, preparation, mindset, and, ultimately, the <i>courage</i> to execute.

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