What do you think?
Rate this book
Battle Mind. How to Navigate in Chaos and Perform under Pressure
Michael Pram Rasmussen, Chairman of the Board in A.P. Møller Mærsk: "From the boardroom to the bridge of a tanker, every leader must master the art of dealing with crises and emergencies. With great skill, Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg shows us that there is a method behind the art"
Nils Wang, Rear Admiral, Commandant at The Royal Danish Defence College: "Any leader who expects to come under fire will eventually feel an urgent need to understand Battle Mind. Reach out for this thoughtful and instructive book well in advance of those critical moments".
Søren Kyhl, Executive Vice President, Danske Bank: "A stimulating tour through the mind on high alert. Full of useful insights on sustainable high-performance and how you can learn to bounce back from major setbacks."
Jesper Kløve, Senior Vice President at Novo Nordisk A/S: "Wedell-Wedellsborg has spent a lot of time studying and focusing on performance under pressure, and it shows. This is a truly well-researched book. Battle Mind is highly informative and provides a hands-on framework and specific ideas for achieving great results. There are great cases in this book for every leader".
Anne-Marie Søderberg, Professor, Copenhagen Business School: "With a solid grounding in psychology and leadership studies Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg does an exemplary job when framing the stories told with lucid concepts for dealing constructively with common management derailers".
Christian Ørsted, bestselling author of Lethal Leadership: "If you are seeking answers to one of the core mental demands of modern leadership, you need this book. It features a fascinating mix of psychology, research and case studies from the military, business and politics. A terrific read".
Helena Boas, Founder and President, Bodas: " Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg’s fascinating account examines a critical aspect of the minds of leaders, managers, and founders of businesses worldwide. However, the mental reflexes she examines and the tools she suggests/prescribes are are also more broadly applicable and invaluable for everyone across all aspects of their lives".
Maria Hjorth, CEO, Mercer Denmark: "To succeed in business you have to perform under pressure and it demands more than just talent. You need to perform when it counts. I believe that 'Battle Mind' is a core life skill for everyone and I can highly recommend Merete's book."
Nils Wang, Rear Admiral, Commandant at The Royal Danish Defence College: "Any leader who expects to come under fire will eventually feel an urgent need to understand Battle Mind. Reach out for this thoughtful and instructive book well in advance of those critical moments".
Søren Kyhl, Executive Vice President, Danske Bank: "A stimulating tour through the mind on high alert. Full of useful insights on sustainable high-performance and how you can learn to bounce back from major setbacks."
Jesper Kløve, Senior Vice President at Novo Nordisk A/S: "Wedell-Wedellsborg has spent a lot of time studying and focusing on performance under pressure, and it shows. This is a truly well-researched book. Battle Mind is highly informative and provides a hands-on framework and specific ideas for achieving great results. There are great cases in this book for every leader".
Anne-Marie Søderberg, Professor, Copenhagen Business School: "With a solid grounding in psychology and leadership studies Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg does an exemplary job when framing the stories told with lucid concepts for dealing constructively with common management derailers".
Christian Ørsted, bestselling author of Lethal Leadership: "If you are seeking answers to one of the core mental demands of modern leadership, you need this book. It features a fascinating mix of psychology, research and case studies from the military, business and politics. A terrific read".
Helena Boas, Founder and President, Bodas: " Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg’s fascinating account examines a critical aspect of the minds of leaders, managers, and founders of businesses worldwide. However, the mental reflexes she examines and the tools she suggests/prescribes are are also more broadly applicable and invaluable for everyone across all aspects of their lives".
Maria Hjorth, CEO, Mercer Denmark: "To succeed in business you have to perform under pressure and it demands more than just talent. You need to perform when it counts. I believe that 'Battle Mind' is a core life skill for everyone and I can highly recommend Merete's book."
201 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 11, 2015
15 people are currently reading
63 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 17, 2024
This book had an interesting premise, one that made me willing to take a chance on it despite the lack of reviews. Battle Mind explores approaches that enable individuals to excel in high-pressure situations. To some degree, the book lived up to my leap of faith. It covers what Battle Mind is, how it differs from an everyday mindset, and what one can do to build up one's Battle Mind. However, while the book did have some well defined takeaways, overall it felt very loosely structured which made it hard to grasp the point of different sections and how they were supposed to relate to each other.
The book introduces the concept of "Battle Mind," a heightened state of awareness that allows people to perform when the stakes are high. While Battle Mind is beneficial in critical situations, its intensity must be carefully managed to avoid overwhelming everyday life. The author argues that while some are more naturally inclined toward Battle Mind than others, this mindset can be cultivated.
The core methodology for activating Battle Mind includes three main steps: first, assessing the situation with clarity to understand what is truly at stake ("listening with the third ear"); second, adjusting one’s mental state to balance composure and alertness ("adjusting your thermostat"); and third, feeling when it's time to take action and preparing an effective opening move that sets the tone for the entire engagement ("feeling your inner clapboard").
The bulk of the book discusses the Battle Mind platform, a set of skills to invest in which help one thrive in high pressure situations. This is built on four key pillars: resilience, end vision, turning points, and courage. Resilience provides the mental and physical strength to endure and stay focused, even in the face of adversity. End vision is the ability to clearly define and visualize the ultimate goal, creating a compelling “future memory” that guides decision-making and maintains motivation. Turning points represent the critical moments where strategic decisions can tip the balance toward success; the ability to identify and leverage these moments is crucial. Lastly, courage is the commitment to take decisive action, even when the risks are high. Together, these are elements leaders and teams can activate when facing challenging situations, enabling them to operate with clarity, precision, and effectiveness under pressure.
If you're willing to do the work to separate the wheat from the chaff, Battle Mind can provide some good insight into how leadership is different under pressure... and how it is the same. In the end, I probably should have skimmed this instead of giving it a thorough read, but I do not regret having read it.
The book introduces the concept of "Battle Mind," a heightened state of awareness that allows people to perform when the stakes are high. While Battle Mind is beneficial in critical situations, its intensity must be carefully managed to avoid overwhelming everyday life. The author argues that while some are more naturally inclined toward Battle Mind than others, this mindset can be cultivated.
The core methodology for activating Battle Mind includes three main steps: first, assessing the situation with clarity to understand what is truly at stake ("listening with the third ear"); second, adjusting one’s mental state to balance composure and alertness ("adjusting your thermostat"); and third, feeling when it's time to take action and preparing an effective opening move that sets the tone for the entire engagement ("feeling your inner clapboard").
The bulk of the book discusses the Battle Mind platform, a set of skills to invest in which help one thrive in high pressure situations. This is built on four key pillars: resilience, end vision, turning points, and courage. Resilience provides the mental and physical strength to endure and stay focused, even in the face of adversity. End vision is the ability to clearly define and visualize the ultimate goal, creating a compelling “future memory” that guides decision-making and maintains motivation. Turning points represent the critical moments where strategic decisions can tip the balance toward success; the ability to identify and leverage these moments is crucial. Lastly, courage is the commitment to take decisive action, even when the risks are high. Together, these are elements leaders and teams can activate when facing challenging situations, enabling them to operate with clarity, precision, and effectiveness under pressure.
If you're willing to do the work to separate the wheat from the chaff, Battle Mind can provide some good insight into how leadership is different under pressure... and how it is the same. In the end, I probably should have skimmed this instead of giving it a thorough read, but I do not regret having read it.
September 4, 2024
If you are looking for inspiration in times of adversity, you’ll find it in this book: “My basic reason for writing this book is that I believe that people can become better at dealing with adversity, if they know the concept Battle Mind, and master the underlying techniques.” the author tells us.
The concept of Battle Mind came from military psychology. Accordingly, the Battle Mind is “a state of mind that helps soldiers survive, focus, and take action in military operations, where there is no room for hesitation.” Merete takes forward the question why do some people perform better under pressure, while others lose control and offers practical guidance and techniques to master the art of dealing with crisis and emergencies.
In addition to the practical advice and actionable tips it offers, I appreciated the book for a number of other reasons. It is rich in real life stories from battle fields to corporate floors to learn from. It contains numerous references to other great books and research papers to get further in-depth inspiration for a “yes, we can” mood any project manager needs to exhibit for the team to follow suit.
The concept of Battle Mind came from military psychology. Accordingly, the Battle Mind is “a state of mind that helps soldiers survive, focus, and take action in military operations, where there is no room for hesitation.” Merete takes forward the question why do some people perform better under pressure, while others lose control and offers practical guidance and techniques to master the art of dealing with crisis and emergencies.
In addition to the practical advice and actionable tips it offers, I appreciated the book for a number of other reasons. It is rich in real life stories from battle fields to corporate floors to learn from. It contains numerous references to other great books and research papers to get further in-depth inspiration for a “yes, we can” mood any project manager needs to exhibit for the team to follow suit.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews