POWERFUL LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM A TRAILBLAZING FEMALE COLONEL IN THE U.S. ARMY When Jill Morgenthaler arrived at boot camp in 1975 as part of the inaugural class of women in the Army, she was one of 83 female cadets . . . on a base of 50,000 men. So she knows a thing or two about conquering obstacles. In The Courage to Take Command, Colonel Morgenthaler provides invaluable leadership lessons drawn from her three decades of military service--from her first days in ROTC to combat in some of the world's most dangerous war zones. Ironically, the military taught her that leadership isn’t about "command and control." Rather, it requires a fine balance of reason and emotion, distance and familiarity, hard and soft power. Learn how to lead your team to success by: Being true to your vision--but being open to new ideas Tackling obstacles head-on--but using finesse to arrive at solutions Focusing on the mission--while protecting your people Projecting strong leadership presence--but serving every member of your team, especially the weakest and most vulnerable Maintaining team spirit--but refusing to tolerate mediocrity Accepting and embracing your fears--but never letting them control you Always having a plan--but also trusting your gut Expressing a healthy self-confidence--with a side of humility It took both a spine of steel and a smart sense of people for Morgenthaler to get where she did. Now she draws on the wisdom garnered from her experience to help you develop an authentic brand of leadership and succeed at all levels of any organization. The Courage to Take Command provides the strategies and tactics you need to follow through with your leadership vision, inspire your team, and execute your mission—even when the odds may seem overwhelming.

Through intimate photographs and poignant stories, this heart-rending book showcases the courage, heroics, and sacrifice of selected U.S. soldiers and veterans. This deeply moving, timely celebration of veterans highlights the heroes in our midst by bringing these brave men and women to life. Veterans Voices blends beauty and impact and gorgeous photographic displays with inspiring storytelling.

' A Navy pioneer, Vice Adm. Samuel Gravely was the first African American to be commissioned a flag officer in the U.S. Navy, the first to command a Navy ship in the twentieth century, and the first to command a U.S. numbered fleet. In this memoir, co-authored by the noted naval historian Paul Stillwell, Gravely describes his life from his boyhood in Richmond, Virginia, through his officer service on board a World War II submarine chaser, to later tours of duty at sea and ashore. Denied housing and even jailed for impersonating an officer, he recounts efforts to overcome both cultural and institutional obstacles posed by racism as he rose through the ranks. In 2009, the Navy named the guided missile destroyer Gravely in his honor.' (Naval Institute Press website)

“Like the A-10 aircraft she flew in combat, retired colonel and fighter pilot Martha McSally is a gritty individual who loves our Air Force and personified its core values of excellence, integrity, and service before self, while standing up to make it a better institution for everyone who serves. How to be resolute, do the right thing, persevere, find gratitude, and learn compassion are just some of the lessons in her inspirational life story.” —Ron FOGLEMAN, General (ret.), U.S. Air Force; former Air Force Chief of Staff Combining the soulful honesty of Make Your Bed with the inspiring power of You Are a Badass, America’s first female combat jet pilot and Arizona Senator Martha McSally shows you how to clear the runway of your life: embrace fear, transform doubt, succeed when you are expected to fail, and soar to great heights in this motivational life guide. Martha McSally is an extraordinary achiever whose inner strength and personal principles have helped her overcome adversity throughout her life. Initially rejected from Air Force flight school because she was too short, she refused to give up, becoming the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat and the first to command a combat fighter squadron in United States history. During her twenty-six-year military career, she fought to free American servicewomen stationed in the Middle East from restrictions requiring them to don full-body, black abayas and ride in the backs of cars – and won. McSally has continued to serve America, first in the House of Representatives, and now as a U.S. Senator from Arizona. McSally is also a survivor. She shares how her experiences propelled her to become a fighter for justice in and out of the cockpit. In this powerful, uplifting book, McSally reflects on her successes and failures, shares key principles that have guided her, and reveals invaluable lessons to break barriers, thrive through darkness, and make someone proud in your life. “Courage isn’t magic or genetics. It is a choice. By choosing to do things afraid, you discover your own power to overcome.” Filled with fresh stories and insights, Dare to Fly will help each of us find the courage inside to break our barriers, endure turbulence, and keep flying high.

The long-awaited memoir of a trailblazer and role model who is telling her story for the first time. Eileen Collins was an aviation pioneer her entire career, from her crowning achievements as the first woman to command an American space mission as well as the first to pilot the space shuttle to her early years as one of the Air Force’s first female pilots. She was in the first class of women to earn pilot’s wings at Vance Air Force Base and was their first female instructor pilot. She was only the second woman pilot admitted to the Air Force’s elite Test Pilot Program at Edwards Air Force Base. NASA had such confidence in her skills as a leader and pilot that she was entrusted to command the first shuttle mission after the Columbia disaster, returning the US to spaceflight after a two-year hiatus. Since retiring from the Air Force and NASA, she has served on numerous corporate boards and is an inspirational speaker about space exploration and leadership. Eileen Collins is among the most recognized and admired women in the world, yet this is the first time she has told her story in a book. It is a story not only of achievement and overcoming obstacles but of profound personal transformation. The shy, quiet child of an alcoholic father and struggling single mother, who grew up in modest circumstances and was an unremarkable student, she had few prospects when she graduated from high school, but she changed her life to pursue her secret dream of becoming an astronaut. She shares her leadership and life lessons throughout the book with the aim of inspiring and passing on her legacy to a new generation.

What does it take for women to succeed in a male-dominated world? The Grit Factor. At age nineteen, Shannon Huffman Polson became the youngest woman ever to climb Denali, the highest mountain in North America. She went on to reach the summits of Mt. Rainier and Mt. Kilimanjaro and spent more than a decade traveling the world. Yet it was during her experience serving as one of the Army's first female attack helicopter pilots, and eventually leading an Apache flight platoon on deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina, that she learned the lessons of leadership that forever changed her life. Where did these insights come from? From her own crucibles of experience—and from other women. In writing The Grit Factor, Polson made it her mission to connect with an elite pack of tough, impressive female iconoclasts who shared with her their candid stories of combat and career. This slate of decorated leaders includes Heather Penney, one of the first female F-16 pilots, who was put on a suicide mission for 9/11; General Ann Dunwoody, the first female four-star general in the Army; Amy McGrath, the first female Marine to fly the F/A-18 in combat and a 2020 candidate for the US Senate—and dozens of other unstoppable women who got there first, including Polson herself. These women led at the highest levels in the most complicated, challenging, and male-dominated organization in the world. Now, in the post–#MeToo era, when positive role models of women leading are needed as never before, Polson brings these voices together, sharing her own life lessons and theirs with storytelling flair, keen insight, and incisive analysis of current research. With its gripping narrative and relatable takeaways, The Grit Factor is both inspiring and pragmatic, a book that will energize and enlighten current and aspiring leaders everywhere—whether male or female.