What does it take to get the job done? How do you get the men in your unit to do what you say? To follow you into battle and shoot to kill? How you build the confidence that spurs men on to do their job, to stand by their leader and each other? Praise for Small Unit Leadership “Identifies in very specific terms what company grade officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) must do to ensure winning in land battle.”—Marine Corps Gazette “Colonel Malone tackles the elusive topic of leadership with a real-world, pragmatic approach. This is not a book of intellectual theorization, but of specific techniques for leading soldiers on and off the battlefield.”—U.S.N.I. Proceedings “The author condenses volumes of psychological studies into a readable and exciting book on practical military leadership.”—ARMOR “Colonel Malone not only provides handy guides on what should be done and how it should be done . . . he also aids the reader in how to know that desired results are being achieved.”—Leatherneck

For the past decade, the U.S. Marine Corps and its sister services have been engaged in what has been termed "hybrid warfare," which ranges from active combat to civilian support. Hybrid warfare typically occurs in environments where all modes of war are employed, such as conventional weapons, irregular tactics, terrorism, disruptive technologies, and criminality to destabilize an existing order. In August 2010, the National Research Council established the Committee on Improving the Decision Making Abilities of Small Unit Leaders to produce Improving the Decision Making Abilities of Small Unit Leaders. This report examines the operational environment, existing abilities, and gap to include data, technology, skill sets, training, and measures of effectiveness for small unit leaders in conducting enhanced company operations (ECOs) in hybrid engagement, complex environments. Improving the Decision Making Abilities of Small Unit Leaders also determines how to understand the decision making calculus and indicators of adversaries. Improving the Decision Making Abilities of Small Unit Leaders recommends operational and technical approaches for improving the decision making abilities of small unit leaders, including any acquisition and experimentation efforts that can be undertaken by the Marine Corps and/or by other stakeholders aimed specifically at improving the decision making of small unit leaders. This report recommends ways to ease the burden on small unit leaders and to better prepare the small unit leader for success. Improving the Decision Making Abilities of Small Unit Leaders also indentifies a responsible organization to ensure that training and education programs are properly developed, staffed, operated, evaluated, and expanded.

A remarkable memoir of small-unit leadership and the coming of age of a young soldier in combat in Vietnam.' "Using a lean style and a sense of pacing drawn from the tautest of novels, McDonough has produced a gripping account of his first command, a U.S. platoon taking part in the 'strategic hamlet' program. . . . Rather than present a potpourri of combat yarns. . . McDonough has focused a seasoned storyteller’s eye on the details, people, and incidents that best communicate a visceral feel of command under fire. . . . For the author’s honesty and literary craftsmanship, Platoon Leader seems destined to be read for a long time by second lieutenants trying to prepare for the future, veterans trying to remember the past, and civilians trying to understand what the profession of arms is all about.”–Army Times

From the introduction: "This handbook provides the tactics, techniques, and procedures that may be applied by small unit leaders engaged in counterinsurgency. It is principally focused at the company and below. It describes the nature of insurgency and counterinsurgency, common insurgent approaches, preparation for counterinsurgency, mobilizing the populace, information and intelligence operations, and operations in a counterinsurgency environment. The handbook is not prescriptive but meant to inform. The specific aspects of each conflict combined with small unit leader judgment and initiative will drive how to apply the ideas within the handbook." Chapter 1: Overview; Chapter 2: Common Insurgent Approaches; Chapter 3: Preparation for Counterinsurgency; Chapter 4: Mobilizing the Populace; Chapter 5: Information and Intelligence Operations; Chapter 6: Operations in a COIN Environment; Annex A: Patrol Search; Annex B: Basic Observation Skills; Annex C: The Twenty-Eight Articles - Fundamentals of Company-level Counterinsurgency; Annex D: Improvised Explosive Devices. Originally published in 2006. 136 pages. ill.

Lots of people write leadership books, but Greg Ballard had the confidence to put his own advice into practice personally. This new edition is full of great counsel, all road-tested in one of the toughest leadership challenges our society has to offer -Mitch Daniels, former governor of the state of Indiana and president of Purdue University Greg Ballard has formulated a remarkable list of rules for successful leadership and demonstrated their validity with historic service as mayor of Indianapolis -Richard G. Lugar, United States senator [ret.] Greg Ballard was an extraordinary mayor. He was an exceptional leader and served with humility, passion, creativity, integrity, inclusion, and the highest possible aspiration for his city. He did all of this with compassion, kindness, and unusual commitment. He and his wife are great parents and, working together, gave our community terrific leadership -James T. Morris, vice chairman of Pacers Sports & Entertainment Drawing on his experiences in the US Marines, in the corporate world, as a coach, and as a small-business owner, Greg Ballard now publishes his concise yet definitive guide for new, junior-, and middle-level leaders. In addition to the realities, traits, and principles explained in the book, he also details the two overarching responsibilities of leadership and gives the three indicators of effective leadership. He also explains the relationship between responsibility, accountability, and authority. Additionally included are fourteen other thoughts, which are of great value. The accumulated knowledge in this valuable book will greatly benefit not only individuals in positions of responsibility but also those companies or organizations that have multiple levels of leadership.

Leadership is so much a part of the conduct of training that at times it is difficult to tell where one stops and the other starts. . . . “The best book on military training from platoon to division level that has been published in any army.”—Army magazine “His message is that whatever works and gets results by the most direct and efficient means is good. All else should be eliminated.”—Air University Review “A utilitarian book that talks intelligently of leadership, management and common sense.”—ARMOR magazine “A hardhitting and unvarnished . . . authoritative work that should be read and reread by everyone who aspires to be a truly professional soldier.”—General Bruce Palmer, U.S. Army (Ret.) “A gem, with few peers, invaluable . . . [Arthur Collins'] advice is always performance oriented. Don't talk so much about it, he says, Don't make so many fancy charts about training. Instead, do it. Teach it. Perform it.”—Parameters