The title of the book says it all. The Be-Know-Do of Generalship. Generalship is possibly one of the most difficult words to define. It is leadership with a difference that demands varied skills from the very basic to the most sophisticated. It is a position of responsibility like none other. It demands making decisions in the most complex environment pregnant with VUCA character. It carries with its position the heavy weight of values and expectations that have come to characterise military leadership since millennium. A General is the face of the system, is always naked and always under scrutiny by soldiers who expect him to be God like. The book is laid out in two parts. Part I, comprising six chapters covers every aspect of Generalship in a 'self-help' easy to assimilate style to develop oneself to be an inspiring General relevant for the future. Part II, comprising Chapter VII is an honest and a dispassionate appraisal of the Indian military leadership since independence. It makes a convincing case to address the existing institutional shortcomings with respect to Generalship and their selection in the Indian Army with de-novo recommendations not heard before. This book is a product of the author's four decades of passion and dedication to the profession of soldiery and the art of military leadership. It is an excellent tutor to BE the General you should be, to KNOW what you should know and to DO what you should do to be future ready and leave a legacy worth remembering. A unique book on the subject, it is a must read for officers of all service groups in any vocation, not only the uniformed services. This book is a ready recipe for those who aspire to lead with a difference.

The title of the book says it all. The Be-Know-Do of Generalship. Generalship is possibly one of the most difficult words to define. It is leadership with a difference that demands varied skills from the very basic to the most sophisticated. It is a position of responsibility like none other. It demands making decisions in the most complex environment pregnant with VUCA character. It carries with its position the heavy weight of values and expectations that have come to characterise military leadership since millennium. A General is the face of the system, is always naked and always under scrutiny by soldiers who expect him to be God like. The book is laid out in two parts. Part I, comprising six chapters covers every aspect of Generalship in a ‘self-help’ easy to assimilate style to develop oneself to be an inspiring General relevant for the future. Part II, comprising Chapter VII is an honest and a dispassionate appraisal of the Indian military leadership since independence. It makes a convincing case to address the existing institutional shortcomings with respect to Generalship and their selection in the Indian Army with de-novo recommendations not heard before. This book is a product of the author’s four decades of passion and dedication to the profession of soldiery and the art of military leadership. It is an excellent tutor to BE the General you should be, to KNOW what you should know and to DO what you should do to be future ready and leave a legacy worth remembering. A unique book on the subject, it is a must read for officers of all service groups in any vocation, not only the uniformed services. This book is a ready recipe for those who aspire to lead with a difference.

“What does it take to make a great general or a great leader in any field? . . . An excellent contribution to the study of leadership among those who make life-and-death decisions in the most challenging situations—one that could well serve as required reading in both military and business schools.”—Kirkus Reviews Throughout his life, Edgar F. “Beau” Puryear has studied America’s top military leaders. In his research for this book, he has sought to discover what allowed them to rise above their contemporaries; what prepared them for the terrible responsibilities they bore as the commanders of our armed forces during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf, and on to today; how they are different from you and me. Ultimately, first and foremost, Dr. Puryear discovered that character is the single most important and the most distinctive element shared by these individuals: that character is everything! “Beau Puryear again reaches into his gold mine of research and comes forward with the essence of great generalship. . . . Well-done and a worthy read.”—General Colin L. Powell “We can always learn more about the importance of character to successful leadership. With this book, we do just that.”—General H. Norman Schwarzkopf

The United States Army is one of the most complex, best run organizations in the world, and central to the Army's success are strong leadership and exceptional leadership development. Army leaders must be able to act decisively and effectively in challenging situations. But the Army, despite its organizational structure, does not train leaders in a hierarchical manner. Dispersed leadership is the key to the success of the Army leadership model. Now, for the first time, you can have access to the Army's successful leadership philosophy and the principles that are outlined in Be Know Do the official Army Leadership Manual. Be Know Do makes this critical information available to civilian leaders in all sectors--business, government, and nonprofit--and gives them the guidelines they need to create an organization where leadership thrives.

Drawing on his own experiences of a lifetime in the Army, the author provides insight into military life at its most important levels, discussing the challenge of leadership and outlining a pattern for a successful commander to follow

History has thrilling accounts of brilliant Generals leading small armies to defeat huge forces of their opponents. Better the Generalship, greater the victories. The Indian Army too has produced many great Generals, who have defeated evil designs of adversaries. Yet they have produced none like Rommel, Manstein, Model, or even like some old Indian warriors like Maharana Pratap, Hari Singh Nalwa, or Zorawar Singh. India can and must produce Generals of that calibre; Generals who don’t just defend territory or restore status quo, but those who annihilate aggressors, to teach memorable lessons to adversaries who transgress, who initiate punitive actions for conventional and nuclear deterrence to be effective. To produce Generals of such calibre, the first step is to understand what is good a Generalship. Then study Generalship in previous conflicts to appreciate achievements and also learn lessons from opportunities missed. Only then the Armed Forces can institute measures to improve the quality of Generalship for the future. This book is written to facilitate such study, in that order.