The U.S. Army Leadership Field Manual FM 22-100

by Leadership Center for Army and Us Army,, Leadership Center for Army and Us Army,

Text provides battle-tested wisdom for leaders in any organization; explaining how to earn the kind of trust and respect that holds a team and an organization together amid extreme challenges of any kind.

Genres: Military Fiction, Leadership, Business, Nonfiction, War

188 pages, Paperback

First published February 20, 2004

Reviews

[Brom Kim]

From my understanding, this work is a result of the Army's post-Vietnam restructuring, and re-thinking of itself. What I love about this book is the foundational tenet that leadership is built on the three pillars of be, know, do.

That it is, according to the authors, leadership is neither formula, approach, nor skill, but an integral part of the identity of the leader. This fits with what I have learned about the craft of leadership via hard knocks.

To be truly successful, in the long term, one must act with real integrity (be), know what the heck one is doing, and have the right skills (know), and bring these together into action (do).

The U.S. Army and I may be completely wrong about this approach, but it works for me. Again, I am talking about real success here, meaning the kind of success that endures and benefits future generations, not about getting rich quick, or acquiring false, short term power.

As a read, the book drags a bit, but it's worth getting through. Remember, it is a field manual (FM22-100). It is very concentrated, and precise. I listened to this on Audible, during the commute, in 20 minute chunks, and recommend this approach.

My high rating of this book is for the thought that went into it, the quality of the model, and the clear imprint of the process it took to make the book, i.e. a large organization picking itself up out of a troubled time, and voicing a clear and timeless expression of it's core values.

[Prem]

So dense that it’s more like a reference text than something to read cover to cover. If you ignore all the stuff about killing the enemy, there’s tons of good leadership principles and framing of problems to apply at various levels. It’s a little light on examples which is both good and bad. Makes it more broadly applicable but harder to know exactly what a principle means.

[Faisal]

Lead

Lead from front
Lead by examples
Leaders create leaders not follower
Give lituttuide for your subordinate you want me. N

[Jason]

Military history has shaped my leadership philosophies and principles for as long as I remember. It's natural then that I turn to the leadership 'playbook' of the past century's hegemon for some wisdom and inspiration.

It can be heavy reading for non-military fans/enthusiasts, and many of the case studies (such as references to WW1 campaigns and Vietnam War-era morality issues) are far more enjoyable and easier to understand to those interested in wars, politics, and generalship.

Recommended, but I'd say only for those with genuine interest in military history.

Note: This was from my 2017 reading list, and the words are from my thoughts back then. Minor grammatical edits may have been applied.

[Charlotte R.S.]

Accomplishes what it sets out to accomplish, clearly and concisely. Often repetitious, but repetition can help drive points home. I'm not entirely sure you can make material like this any more exciting than it is, although I did enjoy reading the examples that illustrated certain abstract points.

[Andrew (Andy or AJ)]

I read it and,now,when I work with groups, I put the things I learned from this book into play. This book helps!!!