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The Leader's Compass: A Personal Leadership Philosophy Is Your Key to Success
2005: by Ed Ruggero & Dennis F. Haley - 139 pages.
Hardcover
First published September 1, 2003
48 people are currently reading
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About the author
Ed Ruggero
14 books105 followersEd Ruggero remembers very clearly two ambitions he had early on: he wanted to be a soldier and he wanted to be a writer.
Ruggero graduated from West Point in 1980, fulfilling one of his professional dreams. He served as an infantry officer in the Army and later returned to West Point to teach literature and writing. While he was on the faculty at West Point that Ruggero got the idea that it would be great to invite a newly famous author named Tom Clancy for a visit.
“I knew Clancy was fascinated by all things military, and West Point is a great draw. I had no travel budget to offer him, but I cheekily wrote that if he made his way to New York, I’d let him talk to my upperclass cadets.”
Clancy’s visit became a big event for the Academy, and the author was a houseguest of the Superintendent, the three-star general who is essentially the president of a university. Ruggero made good on his promise and brought Clancy to class to speak to cadets in a writing course.
“He told the cadets that he’d waited until he was forty years old to even try writing, something he’d always wanted to do. He told them not to wait.”
Ruggero took Clancy’s advice to heart and got to work on a manuscript that would become his first novel, 38 North Yankee.
“I got up at 4:30—oh-dark-thirty in Army jargon—and wrote until it was time to leave for work at six. I had two young children at the time and didn’t want to sacrifice my time in the evenings with them.”
Ruggero has written fiction, military history and several titles on leadership; and has built a business running retreats for business executives to places like Normandy and Gettysburg.
“We use the history of these battles and the challenges facing the commanders, to figure out how we can better lead our modern organizations.”
On one visit to West Point Ruggero met a graduate of the Class of 1941, who became a guide for two of his books, both non-fiction accounts of American paratroopers in World War Two. Some of the hundred and fifty or so former paratroopers Ruggero interviewed fought in six major campaigns.
“Getting to know those men and capturing their stories for later generations has been a highlight of my professional career.”
While visiting Sicily to research his non-fiction Combat Jump, about the 1943 Allied invasion, Ruggero became intrigued by the question, ”What happens after the fighting moves on?”
“The Allies had somehow to restore law and order and recreate a civil society and all its functioning parts immediately in the wake of the most violent and chaotic of human endeavors: modern war. That must have been incredibly difficult.”
That musing led Ruggero to a new fiction series that kicks off in 2019 with Blame the Dead.
“The protagonist is a former Philadelphia beat cop, Eddie Harkins, who winds up investigating the murder of a US Army surgeon. Among other problems, Harkins learns that many of the victim’s colleagues think that the dead man—who was something of a low-life—pretty much got what he deserved.”
“But, as Harkins says, you can hardly blame the dead guy for his own murder.”
Ruggero and his wife, Marcia Noa, divide their time between Media, Pennsylvania and Lewes, Delaware. Ruggero spent seven years as a trustee of the Philadelphia Outward Bound School.
“I often think of Tom Clancy’s advice to my cadets, which helped me in no small way to find a job I love.”
Ruggero graduated from West Point in 1980, fulfilling one of his professional dreams. He served as an infantry officer in the Army and later returned to West Point to teach literature and writing. While he was on the faculty at West Point that Ruggero got the idea that it would be great to invite a newly famous author named Tom Clancy for a visit.
“I knew Clancy was fascinated by all things military, and West Point is a great draw. I had no travel budget to offer him, but I cheekily wrote that if he made his way to New York, I’d let him talk to my upperclass cadets.”
Clancy’s visit became a big event for the Academy, and the author was a houseguest of the Superintendent, the three-star general who is essentially the president of a university. Ruggero made good on his promise and brought Clancy to class to speak to cadets in a writing course.
“He told the cadets that he’d waited until he was forty years old to even try writing, something he’d always wanted to do. He told them not to wait.”
Ruggero took Clancy’s advice to heart and got to work on a manuscript that would become his first novel, 38 North Yankee.
“I got up at 4:30—oh-dark-thirty in Army jargon—and wrote until it was time to leave for work at six. I had two young children at the time and didn’t want to sacrifice my time in the evenings with them.”
Ruggero has written fiction, military history and several titles on leadership; and has built a business running retreats for business executives to places like Normandy and Gettysburg.
“We use the history of these battles and the challenges facing the commanders, to figure out how we can better lead our modern organizations.”
On one visit to West Point Ruggero met a graduate of the Class of 1941, who became a guide for two of his books, both non-fiction accounts of American paratroopers in World War Two. Some of the hundred and fifty or so former paratroopers Ruggero interviewed fought in six major campaigns.
“Getting to know those men and capturing their stories for later generations has been a highlight of my professional career.”
While visiting Sicily to research his non-fiction Combat Jump, about the 1943 Allied invasion, Ruggero became intrigued by the question, ”What happens after the fighting moves on?”
“The Allies had somehow to restore law and order and recreate a civil society and all its functioning parts immediately in the wake of the most violent and chaotic of human endeavors: modern war. That must have been incredibly difficult.”
That musing led Ruggero to a new fiction series that kicks off in 2019 with Blame the Dead.
“The protagonist is a former Philadelphia beat cop, Eddie Harkins, who winds up investigating the murder of a US Army surgeon. Among other problems, Harkins learns that many of the victim’s colleagues think that the dead man—who was something of a low-life—pretty much got what he deserved.”
“But, as Harkins says, you can hardly blame the dead guy for his own murder.”
Ruggero and his wife, Marcia Noa, divide their time between Media, Pennsylvania and Lewes, Delaware. Ruggero spent seven years as a trustee of the Philadelphia Outward Bound School.
“I often think of Tom Clancy’s advice to my cadets, which helped me in no small way to find a job I love.”
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 24, 2016
I had to read this for work. I don't think I was supposed to take away from the story that Guy was every mediocre dude promoted above his capabilities and the competent woman, Linda, gets likened to a teenager because unlike Guy she can articulate failings. I have read better books on leadership.
July 24, 2019
I had to read this book for work. I don't understand why it is a leadership book written as a fictional story. I would've preferred just an informational but interesting non-fiction, how-to or self-help style book about leadership. Guy was a weak character, Stanley was a know-it-all who had an answer for everything but nothing better to do with his time than help a neighbor for free.99? Linda would never survive with her attitude in the real world. I would've reprimanded her on day one. Peter and Andy are people we have all worked with for yearrrrrrssssssssss and they never go away or solve their problems. The story was bland and unnecessary. But....
The actual leadership points were interesting and helpful. The point of the book - drafting your leader philosophy/compass - is a good technique and one that I would adopt (even if I didn't have to do it for work). Just do the project and skip the story. If you have to read it, luckily, the book is short and a quick read.
The actual leadership points were interesting and helpful. The point of the book - drafting your leader philosophy/compass - is a good technique and one that I would adopt (even if I didn't have to do it for work). Just do the project and skip the story. If you have to read it, luckily, the book is short and a quick read.
August 30, 2021
I had to read this for a Leadership class I took for work. At first I thought it was going to be hokey business school nonsense, and admittedly the framing device used, a manager struggling at work and getting advice from his neighbor, an ex-nuclear submarine captain, was a little hokey but the book has a pretty clear and important message. If you have to lead people as part of your job it asks you to think about your philosophy as a leader, something few of us probably have done. Not a fan of this kind of business/self-help book normally, but this one is pretty good, short and concise and puts the lessons in the story in a way that makes them make sense.
September 5, 2017
I think this book is extremely basic and written in a manner that even a caveman could understand it. That being said, I also think its well done because it makes learning about leadership extremely simple. Obviously everyone isn't going to come away from the book as a fantastic leader, but if you read this, you will gain some insight and it does actually provide you with a compass to start you in the right direction. i read this in preparation for a class I'll be taking and I'm looking forward to the class based on the information I have gotten so far from this company.
December 25, 2019
This book was gifted to me by a senior executive and he had gone through the Gettysburg experience. This is a good book and approach. It helps to do an introspective and think through your leadership attributes and your principles. It is something that continuously evolves and isn't "done" and I've revisited parts of the book on several occasions. The approach was effective with the executive we were working with and I'm continuing to develop and adjust my leadership compass.
June 22, 2019
Sexist, paternalistic, and way too good old boy's network for me. I only read this because I had to for a work retreat.
July 17, 2019
For LDP at work
August 15, 2019
Required reading for a class, but great for anyone. But just those in leadership roles.
November 12, 2019
Good principles and cleverly baked into a dialogue similar to "Leadership and Self Deception" by the Arbinger Institute. Nothing earth shattering but a good, quick read.
March 2, 2017
Easy read with practical recommendations.
July 13, 2025
Enjoyable quick read about a Navy Captian offering leadership advice to a business man. Ultimately encourages you to take what you learned and write a leadership philosophy. I am glad I read the book.
August 4, 2010
Leadership philosophy
March 28, 2014
This book is a quick read with easy to understand concepts. It gives you a recipe for creating your own personal leadership philosophy.
June 2, 2015
good summary o leadership principles. helped to develop a leadership philosophy that can be implemented in any work environment.
August 29, 2016
Great book focusing not as much on telling you what to do as helping you search for your own answers. Do the project. It is helpful to understand yourself.
March 28, 2016
Work assignment. Cheesy but effective.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews