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Small Unit Leadership: A Commonsense Approach
Required reading for all present and future leaders, this classic is for those who have to "get the job done"--military or not.
192 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1983
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719 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
August 4, 2019
Great starting point for the “how to’s” of junior leadership. Will absolutely return to this book. Recommend taking a look at the Table of Contents if you’re on the fence.
Malone also uses simple language to explain the big picture of a company. Gained a greater understanding of how a company functions, and how individual performance effects the system.
Malone also uses simple language to explain the big picture of a company. Gained a greater understanding of how a company functions, and how individual performance effects the system.
June 14, 2023
Реальная книга для сержантов, которым готовить солдат к бою. Нюансы и примеры, нужные детали
August 2, 2019
A practical guide, especially for the some tips on identifying and handling different types of soldiers and some good questions on the last pages. Overall it feels like a field manual with its fair share of clichés.
January 16, 2025
This is the cream of the crop short treatise on junior leadership while commanding a small unit. It is easily applicable to every kind of unit from professional unit to guerrilla unit although it focuses exclusively on professional units.
It is simple and straightforward with a lot of bullet points to remember. I dare to say this is one of the best books to be distributed in the War College.
It is simple and straightforward with a lot of bullet points to remember. I dare to say this is one of the best books to be distributed in the War College.
May 1, 2014
Many of my peers in OCS read and reviewed this book while I opted for Battleground Iraq. I wish I had read this book sooner, if not then. Every Army leader at Company level and below should read this book. First published in 1983, it takes many lessons from 'Nam, but those lessons are applicable now more than ever.
March 9, 2012
This book is definitely a good primer for the mid-tier NCO or junior officer. It can also be useful for those having to work in a joint environment because of the insight it lends into how the Army leads and what the Army expects of its soldiers. Overall, a decent read for lower echelon leaders.
September 5, 2011
The simplest and most straight foward book I have ever read about "How-to" leadership. Very simple, direct and easy to read.
December 4, 2016
This is a treatise in junior leadership targeted at up to the company commander level of the US Army . Col. Dandrige M. Malone (Ret) makes the fundamental claim that leadership comprises a set of values, perspectives and skills, and is rooted in the identity of a military leader and the Army’s mission. To support this claim, Malone provides a detailed ‘how-to’ of leadership, using accessible language to present well-organised frameworks and bite-sized tips. Not just a book to be read, this is a book to be used. Its contents can be divided into (1) philosophy (purpose, principles and traits), (2) procedures (guiding frameworks), and (3) skills (team-building, developing others, actual day-to-day activities that contribute to leadership). With engaging content and style, the book offers an accessible understanding of the ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘what’ of leadership. It is a worthwhile read for aspiring company and platoon commanders.
March 12, 2017
If you are in the military, this is a book for your office bookshelf. Malone provides insight into the theory of leadership but also practical ways to lead. Focused on company officers and NCOs, the author bases his recommendations on combat leadership from a past war. This, by itself, is of value because it disconnects ideas of leadership from the wars of the current generation. It breaks an emotional link.
The disclaimer is that not every idea in the book is of value but a critical look at the ideas presented gives the reader food-for-thought. And just because this book aims at a particular audience, I would say it is useful to those serving above the company echelon. It provides some context to company-level problems.
The disclaimer is that not every idea in the book is of value but a critical look at the ideas presented gives the reader food-for-thought. And just because this book aims at a particular audience, I would say it is useful to those serving above the company echelon. It provides some context to company-level problems.
May 16, 2018
A phenomenal how-to guide
I spent 17 years in the Air Force and never knew how much I wanted this book to hand. Yes, it's very Army-centric in its vocabulary, but the lessons on leading and managing can be effortlessly transferred to Airmen, Marines, and Sailors.
If you want to be a better leader of the men and women who signed up to defend their country, you want this book. If you're already a top-flight leader, you might already know 90% of what's in here, but the remaining 10% will be gold (and is probably in the excellent list of questions to ask your troops). If you already know 100% of what's in this book, then you already know that you should still be getting a copy to push into the hands of those leaders who are going to come after you.
I spent 17 years in the Air Force and never knew how much I wanted this book to hand. Yes, it's very Army-centric in its vocabulary, but the lessons on leading and managing can be effortlessly transferred to Airmen, Marines, and Sailors.
If you want to be a better leader of the men and women who signed up to defend their country, you want this book. If you're already a top-flight leader, you might already know 90% of what's in here, but the remaining 10% will be gold (and is probably in the excellent list of questions to ask your troops). If you already know 100% of what's in this book, then you already know that you should still be getting a copy to push into the hands of those leaders who are going to come after you.
January 2, 2021
Quick read that is focused on small-unit leaders (company level and below). Many of the concepts and points made in this book are absolutely applicable for Battalion level leader too. Overall, this book is a great reminder of what a small-unit leader is responsible for and what they should focus on: 1) “Lead Soldiers and small units during battle” and 2) “prepare Soldiers and small units to fight the battle.”
The “How to ask the right questions” section starting on page 154 provides some simple examples of ways to gain understanding through asking better questions and actively listening — I have not seen this approach in other military leadership books.
The “How to ask the right questions” section starting on page 154 provides some simple examples of ways to gain understanding through asking better questions and actively listening — I have not seen this approach in other military leadership books.
March 30, 2018
Good books with a lot of helpful leadership content. Worth reading for certain.
This was a well constructed book for the most part. I enjoyed the author's presentation and content and his leadership thoughts were right on the money. The only reason this was not a five star book for me was the overall length. I labored through the last part of the book (but that could have been a personal problem). Recommended and liked and would be good for people who are picking up their first supervisory jobs.
This was a well constructed book for the most part. I enjoyed the author's presentation and content and his leadership thoughts were right on the money. The only reason this was not a five star book for me was the overall length. I labored through the last part of the book (but that could have been a personal problem). Recommended and liked and would be good for people who are picking up their first supervisory jobs.
April 9, 2023
This book is one of a kind. It is the antidote to all the "regular" leadership books that are way longer than needed and preface each piece of actionable advice with an unnecessary 50 page long story. Instead "Small Unit Leadership" is very short on anecdotes and is all about logical, actionable advice about leadership. It describes military leadership, of course, but with a bit of imagination 90% of advice in the book can be successfully applied for civilian leadership.
January 16, 2020
While not the most exciting leadership book, Col. Malone does a good job of presenting information in a way that is easy to digest and reference. I tabbed several corners and plan to return when those situations become more relevant. I especially liked the section of the differences between NCO jobs and Officer jobs because the delineation has always seemed vague.
October 31, 2023
This was assigned reading for my Engineering Management class, and turned into one of the books I most enjoyed for that class. While not all of the information included was useful for my specific purposes, I got my money's worth out of this book.
March 24, 2018
Timeless classic. Clear and straightforward advice for company grade leaders.
May 28, 2019
I am not in the military, but you don't have to be for this to be a useful read. Very concise, practical and straight to the point.
July 5, 2020
A good, old school take on military leadership.
November 1, 2022
100% recommend to any future leader no matter the branch. Full of good lessons and advice for leaders from start to finish. Paperback a must, I annotated this book to death.
October 24, 2023
A quick read on leadership at the company level. Had some great leadership lessons and points along with some good checklists. Should read for and Company Grade Officer
December 28, 2024
Crazy this details that a popular solution to dealing with a bad CO was to just kill him and pretend some VC did it
April 11, 2021
"Small Unit Leadership" is an excellent guide to military leadership principles. It was written in 1983 by Dandridge Malone, a Colonel in the U.S. Army who taught his leadership principles to West Point cadets, and officers at the Army War College. In the book, he lays out very practical advice for military leaders who are tasked with leading small groups of soldiers, including squads, platoons, and companies. I read this book at least four or five times during Officer Candidate School for the Texas State Guard. Much of the school's leadership content came from Malone's book. I would highly recommend it to any military leader who wants a day to day guide that they can use in a practical way. I plan to consult the book often as I lead my own small units in the Guard.
April 5, 2014
This book goes between lessons for leaders, and stories of war where these lessons came into play. The stories are exciting and very well told, then there are dull periods in between. This book is very geared to actual army officers; I was recommended it for generic leadership lessons, to which I think it does a good job, but if you are not in the army some of them may not be entirely necessary. The book does not try to hide its target audience though, so if you go in knowing that, you can adapt the lessons given and hear some good stories.
November 10, 2016
Specific tips for leading any grouo
This book was recommended by a mentor and I know why.
The author does not stop at an idea of what to do but he consistently gives you an example of what to do and what not to do, so I can understand the concept and have an idea of how to apply.
One of the best leadership books that I have read in a while.
This book was recommended by a mentor and I know why.
The author does not stop at an idea of what to do but he consistently gives you an example of what to do and what not to do, so I can understand the concept and have an idea of how to apply.
One of the best leadership books that I have read in a while.
September 3, 2015
THE best book for any junior leader. I HIGHLY recommend this as the first book for anyone starting a personal professional reading program. Simple and to the point. A foundational reference for anything I do as an Army leader.
May 31, 2021
A quick read packed with great practical guidance for company-level leadership and below. Some of the acronyms and terms are outdated since it was written in 1983, but the leadership lessons remain true.
February 14, 2012
Some of the examples in this book are a bit dated, but the overall message of the book is excellent and straight forward. I would recommend this for all junior officers and NCOs.
June 4, 2012
Excellent book on leadership!
April 29, 2013
The author's direct, no nonsense style is refreshing for those of us who get tired of glossy, spin-doctored leadership literature.
August 16, 2014
Excellent practical advice for any junior officer or NCO on how to prepare subordinates for battle and how to lead them during battle.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews