A Higher Standard: Leadership Strategies from America's First Female Four-Star General

by Ann Dunwoody

On June 23, 2008, President George W. Bush nominated Ann Dunwoody as a four-star general in the US Army-the first time a woman had ever achieved that rank. The news generated excitement around the world. Now retired after nearly four decades in the Army, Dunwoody shares what she learned along the way, from her first command leading 100 soldiers to her final assignment, in which she led a 60 billion enterprise of over 69,000 employees, including the Army's global supply chain in support of Iraq and Afghanistan.

What was the driving force behind Dunwoody's success? While her talent as a logistician and her empathy in dealing with fellow soldiers helped her rise through the ranks, Dunwoody also realized that true leaders never stop learning, refining, growing, and adapting. In A Higher Standard , Dunwoody details her evolution as a soldier and reveals the core leadership principles that helped her achieve her historic appointment. Dunwoody's strategies are applicable to any leader, no matter the size or scope of the organization. They include lessons such as "Never Walk by a Mistake," a mandate to recognize when something is wrong, big or small, and to hold people accountable. Not only can this save billions for industry, it can
sometimes save the lives of soldiers and citizens. She also advises that "Leaders Aren't Invincible-Don't Try to Be": to be our best, we have to acknowledge our worst. And she encourages readers to "Leverage the Power of Diversity" by creating teams of people from different backgrounds to provide a broad range of ideas and devise the best-informed decisions.

With these and other guiding principles, A Higher Standard offers practical, tactical advice that everyone can use to lead and achieve with maximum success.

Genres: Military Fiction, Leadership, Nonfiction, Biography, Professional Development, Business, Womens

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 2015

Reviews

[Ian Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mined this book for insight into leadership skills and management anecdotes but what I especially enjoyed in the end was a newfound respect for military life. And most especially the sense of multi-generational teamwork along with the sense of dedicating ones life to something bigger than themselves. But back to leadership skills: I wound up highlighting almost an entire chapter on what it means to have a vision, develop it, share it, and drive towards it. Probably the best no nonsense explanation of that task out there.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have wanted to read this book for as long as I knew about its publication. When I was a lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne, we had our first female field grade officer join the Division. That was Ann Dunwoody, who was then a major. I did not have many interactions with (then) Major Dunwoody as she was in the DISCOM and I was down at the Battalion level as the S-1. I was impressed with what I did see and tried to follow her career after I left the Division and later, the Army. I confess her prop blast story tickled me, although I can't for the life of me remember her joke! And I absolutely loved how proud she was to be a Quartermaster officer and a Rigger. I feel the same way.
Her book is a good read for anyone who wants to lead (or learn what makes a good leader). You don't need to be in the military to understand this book. She does a pretty good job of making it easy for a civilian to understand. And she give a bit of a glimpse of what it is like to be the lone female face in a room.

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Will it unlock some secrets behind the WP mindset?

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a veritable amount of good leadership tips and tricks in the book. I did find it difficult to read this because she wrote it like a military report and transitions sometimes were a bit abrupt. So I had to take my reader hat off and put my Army hat back on to get through. Kudos to General (Ret) Dunwoody on her career and thank you for sharing these insightful tips.

[Dan Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

This took me a while to read as a secondary book, because I couldn’t find a lot of reasons to keep picking it up. It’s a book on leadership of General Ann Dunwoody, the first female 4-star general officer in the US Military. She has an awesome story, and some great examples of adversity she had to overcome as a woman in the Army in the 80s/90s - but I felt like the book lost its touch halfway through.

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

General Dunwoody was the first woman to become a four star general, and chronicles her journey from the Women’s Army Corps in 1974 to commanding an organization of 69K Soldiers in 2012. The book was a bit more disjointed than I would have liked, by the stories and leadership techniques were worth the read.

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book. It wasn't great which was a bit disappointing to me considering that I have been hunting for it on the cheap for a while. The flow of the story wasn't really there. It was more than a bit out of order. Rather than Gen. McChrystal's biography that was fantastic, this one didn't go in a linear fashion a hundred percent of the time. Sometimes things happened out of order and she would go from talking about her time as a Lieutenant General to her time as a Major or Lieutenant Colonel.

All of that said, the leadership lessons were relevant I think but they were not clearly defined as to what the lesson was. I could point out the major themes that are echoed throughout the military right now since I am in the military, but she didn't state at the beginning of a chapter or otherwise what the actual lesson was in such a way that someone with no military background would find it easy to see in my opinion.

Additionally, she spent a significant amount of time talking about how much she downplayed the fact that she was a woman while she was in the military and then as a result of spending all her time doing that in the book spent what seemed like half the book talking about being a woman in the military. It was very clearly a biography not about a "Soldier" but instead about a "female Soldier" because of her constant reminder that she wasn't a "female Soldier" but a "Soldier" if that makes any sense. Hopefully it does.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Leadership Reading

The frequent and necessary reminder of the need for an ethical foundation and belief system as well as an ability to look within one's self. Excellent writing style. Factual as well as interesting.

[James Pritchert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a terrific book. It may be because the General and I were assigned to the same places on some occasions and we shared some similar experiences but I really enjoyed this book. Looking back over her military career, she provides many useful insights and observations into the US Army and into the politics that goes into that career field. If I were to embark on a military career now, I would devour this book and keep it as a ready reference. I have seen too many young officers run afoul of the "system" and this book might just help them to navigate their way through it. There were a few factual errors in the book but they were not serious enough to change the tone or content in any way. Its just a problem with the publisher's fact checker who was not performing their job as well as the General was performing hers. Don't be deterred by a couple of miniscule mistakes, read this book and enjoy the message it imports.

[Cathy Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Time to call it... I am never going to finish this book. I picked it up ages ago on the recommendation of someone I admire, someone who had met General Dunwoody and found her book well worth reading. I naturally assumed I would have the same experience with it that I've had with the books of so many other high-achieving women: to be inspired by the gumption and persistence it takes generati0n after generation of women to pursue their own lights, to be fascinated by choices made in moving ever forward to excellence, and to pick up tidbits I could apply in my own life. Evidently, I found none of that here. In the years since I put down this book, I have picked up and finished many others. I kept this one in the "currently reading" pile because I was so close to the end. But - there are too many books that are new and interesting and have a better claim to my time and attention. So... I won't finish it and that is my "review."

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

GEN Ann Dunwoody made history in 2008 when President Bush nominated her for a 4th star, as she was to be the first in that rank in the US military. Her story, of course, is one of many firsts, but it is truly her uncompromising approach to standards and excellence that allowed her to be a wildly successful commander and leader. Entering service in 1974 before women were admitted into West Point, and despite coming from a family legacy of West Pointers, her beloved Army became her service calling for 38 years. Sound and practical stories round out this soldier’s soldier bio of a great career and life, and the influences that shaped her development and thinking. Lessons such as ‘never walk by a mistake’ and ‘always be prepared’ marked the career of a soldier who happened to be a woman who penetrated the brass ceiling.

[Carla Doria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading about General Ann Dunwoody was very interesting, especially her story and how she reached that position. The book adds teachings that her military experience taught her about leadership. There was very good material and strategies that are helpful for life in general and is truly inspiring to read from an iconic woman. As women, knowing that somebody had such an amazing life experience in her career with mostly persistence, perseverance, and discipline is very encouraging.

However, some military terms and too much depth into the military operations and process made the book slow, especially for people who are not into the military world and from an entirely different country than the US. I would have loved to read more about personal experiences than the military stuff.

[Douglas Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

General Dunwoody's book, much like her distinguished service, transcends the obvious labels. This isn't a great book for "women" leaders, "women" soldiers, "women" officers, etc. This is just a GREAT BOOK. Period. Her words of wisdom, personal experiences, storytelling, and easily digestible approach to sharing hard-fought lessons learned are much needed for any professional. I am a better man and leader for having spent time reading her story. I especially appreciated her humor, empathy, and ability to show commitment and love for the profession of arms while simultaneously–and graciously–identifying the many shortfalls we as an Army have overcome throughout the years. Her positivity and vision for an even brighter future left me fulfilled and hopeful.

[Rachel Anders · Rating 4 out of 5]

At work my manager has challenged me to step up and continue to learn about leadership. Since I don't necessarily have a degree in business, it's hard for me to recognize my own leadership qualities or what I should be looking for in a leader.

In reading General Dunwoody's book, I realized that a leader doesn't necessarily need a business degree, they just have to do what is right for themselves, their company and the greater country at large.

I look forward to implementing some of the strategies that I learned from General Dunwoody's book over the next year in my job as I start leading new representatives in their positions.

[Jonathan Pevarnek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book going over the life of a remarkably gifted leader in the army. General Dunwoody tells many stories about her career and I found many of those stories to have very clear takeaways for how people in general could be more effective and just better overall. Without question, there's some useful tips I can take away and use in my own life.

One thing that would have been nice from an editing perspective would be to trim down the repetition. The same stories, framed almost exactly the same way, were retold many times throughout the book, and it kept giving me a sense of deja vu.

[Vanessa]

I don't typically read books like this; I prefer fiction. I thought I would give it a shot through since I was in the military for quite a few years and have worked in government. I was disappointed in the writing, mostly because of how repetitive it is. I couldn't finish it because it was driving me crazy. I admire the accomplishments of GEN Dunwoody and think it's incredible that she was the first female 4 star. If it had been written better and perhaps condensed, I think I would have really enjoyed reading about her experiences.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid review of Dunwoody’s career and leadership principles, told in her own words. It’s a rambly and folksy book, but there are genuinely interesting insights into military leadership and team building, along with her own biography. Don’t expect a nuanced critique of the American military-industrial complex, the uneasy dance of US patriotism-becoming-nationalism. But Dunwoody seems like someone who treated her people well, squashed wastefulness, and led with integrity. I appreciate that.

[Dannan Tavona · Rating 5 out of 5]

As it says

Autobiography, gender issues, leadership development

Dunwoody has had a fascinating career, and includes a lot of good advice. The only caveat I have is she sidesteps other generals who were divisive politically. Still, I do respect her drive to do right in both past positions and wanting to better the lives of the soldiers under her command. Well done, General Dunwoody.

[Walt Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love her story but didn't love this book. It ambles, rambles, and recovers ground so often that it feels like you've been dropped into the middle of a narrative jungle and have to find you way out. I listened to the audiobook version, not sure if I would have come away with the same impression if I had read a printed copy.

[Mr. B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptionally written, very inspirational book. My first thought after reading it is that I need to read this at least once a year. I appreciate her humility so much and I know (because I am a logistician and an officer) how exceptional her accomplishments are. I’m recommending this book to every leader and potential leader who crosses my path.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a lieutenant at Fort Bragg in the 44th Medical Brigade when then LTC Dunwoody was a battalion commander in the 82d. I didn’t know her personally, but was impressed by her. I was also impressed by how my fellow (mostly male) lieutenants described and praised her leadership. This book confirmed my opinion of her. She was a leader, not only a female leader.

[Jsteedly · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was enjoyable to hear the perspective of a skillful military officer that didn’t attempt to play on how macho they were. Anyone in the military has to be strong to succeed and it was evident from her experiences it was no different. It was good to hear her story and through her dedication and those who believed in her, allowed her to have a significant impact on improving the US military.

[Regine · Rating 5 out of 5]

 two key take homes:


“If you compromise your integrity and principles on minor issues, it gets easier to make bad choices on the big issues.”

"If you walk by a mistake, then you just set a new, lower standard. "


If you see any bad behavior, it needs to be nipped in the bud as soon as possible, don't dwell on it, take action quickly to get it sorted out. 

[Song Flagler · Rating 3 out of 5]

She's an inspiration for sure, but the writing is a little shallow. Too many metaphors, similes, and examples. It's written from a passive voice too often. And a pretty big error in the first chapter. Not my cup o' tea.

[D Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is marketed as leadership strategies by the first female 4 star General. It's a mediocre memoir with some 3 line leadership platitudes thrown in in each chapter. Unless you're into the Army tie-in, don't bother.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great book pick from Julie! A positive story with practical leadership lessons from our first female to four.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than expected!

[Da · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it doesn’t really convey too much information about leadership, it tells some true reality about promotion. Another anecdote aligns with the conclusion of Carla Harris

[Sara Magno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as a brand new female LT who will be going to an infantry battalion in the 82nd. Her book provided me wisdom and perspective on how to lead when you’re not “one of the boys.”

[Richard Gombert · Rating 2 out of 5]

an ok book. The author does repeat herself frequently throughout the book.