This I found to be a fascinating book by a tough leader who consistently pushed himself to learn and grow. I especially love his reading of history to learn from others mistakes and successes. Here are the top 10 tips for business leaders from Jim Mattis’ book “Call Sign Chaos”:
- Know your people: Leaders should understand their team members’ strengths, weaknesses, and motivations, and tailor their leadership approach accordingly.
- Build strong relationships: Leaders should develop strong relationships with their team members and stakeholders, building trust and mutual respect.
- Set clear expectations: Leaders should communicate clear expectations for performance and behaviour and hold themselves and their team accountable.
- Adapt your leadership style: Leaders should adapt their leadership style to fit the situation and the needs of their team.
- Communicate clearly and effectively: Leaders should communicate clearly and concisely, ensuring that their intent is understood by everyone on their team.
- Develop a strategic mindset: Leaders should think strategically and consider the long-term implications of their decisions.
- Foster a culture of learning: Leaders should create an environment where learning and development are encouraged and supported.
- Embrace diversity: Leaders should value diversity and seek out diverse perspectives to drive innovation and creativity.
- Lead by example: Leaders should set an example of professionalism, integrity, and commitment to their team and stakeholders.
- Continuously improve: Leaders should continuously seek to improve their own skills and knowledge and encourage their team members to do the same.
Call Sign Chaos is the account of Jim Mattis’ storied career, from wide-ranging leadership roles in three wars to ultimately commanding a quarter of a million troops across the Middle East. Along the way, Mattis recounts his foundational experiences as a leader, extracting the lessons he has learned about the nature of warfighting and peace-making, the importance of allies, and the strategic dilemmas – and short-sighted thinking – now facing our nation. He makes it clear why America must return to a strategic footing so as not to continue winning battles but fighting inconclusive wars.
Mattis divides his audiobook into three parts: Direct Leadership, Executive Leadership, and Strategic Leadership. In the first part, Mattis recalls his early experiences leading Marines into battle, when he knew his troops as well as his own brothers. In the second part, he explores what it means to command thousands of troops, and how to adapt your leadership style to ensure your intent is understood by your most junior troops so that they can own their mission. In the third part, Mattis describes the challenges and techniques of leadership at the strategic level, where military leaders reconcile war’s grim realities with political leaders’ human aspirations, where complexity reigns and the consequences of imprudence are severe, even catastrophic.
Call Sign Chaos is a memoir of a life of war-fighting and lifelong learning, following along as Mattis rises from Marine recruit to four-star general. It is a journey about learning to lead and a story about how he, through constant study and action, developed a unique leadership philosophy, one relevant to us all.