First, Fast, Fearless: How to Lead Like a Navy Seal – Book Review

First, Fast, Fearless by Brian Hiner

U.S. Navy Seals are among the most elite warriors in the world. Since their inception as Scouts and Raiders during World War II, there have been only a few thousand SEALs.

When a SEAL team goes out it means life or death, not just for the SEALs but for those they are fighting to protect.

Navy SEAL Lieutenant Commander (Ret.) Brian “Iron Ed” Hiner brings us a management guide that is based in the lessons of the toughest warriors in the world. 

His book, First, Fast, Fearless: How to Lead like a Navy SEAL, is study in true leadership under levels of stress few of us will ever experience. The book takes you through a personal brand of leadership based in a ‘first strike’ mentality. He walks his readers through VUCA, “volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.” He states “Our (Navy SEAL’s) world and your world is full of it.”

He encourages leaders to create their own ethos, “an expression of who you are and a day-to-day guide to thoughts and actions.” From there, every step of leadership is by example and guided by a clear vision of the goals that need to be achieved.

He talks about things like communication and mission-alignment of teams. His ideas are as clear and simple as Sun Tzu’s Art of War. 

The key to making First, Fast, Fearless work for you is to work at it. This isn’t a book with cute stories; it’s a book that tells the tales of a group that stares at death and still leads.

If this book has one failing it is that it, like Art of War, is entirely based in his military experience. The only improvement would be to offer a corporate life example next to military examples. Nonetheless, the principles are so sound that any thinking leader can adopt them, and should!

First, Fast, Fearless: How to Lead Like a Navy SEAL by “Iron Ed” Hiner has a place on every management bookshelf, especially veterans who will understand many of the ethical and personal stresses that Hiner and his SEAL teams went through. The best part of the book is that every chapter ends with a list of takeaways that makes it easy review what you have learned.

Ken Blanchard wrote the introduction. He says, “I challenge you to read and absorb every word of this book.” He is right. This a book that can change your business and personal life, if you let it.

Out on September 28 from McGraw-Hill, First, Fast, Fearless: How to Lead Like a Navy Seal is available at Amazon for $19.68 hardcover and only $14.04 on Kindle. http://www.amazon.com/First-Fast-Fearless-Lead-Like/dp/0071844880/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443134700&sr=8-1&keywords=first+fast+fearless

Start leading like a hero! Let “Iron Ed” Hiner show you how.