Do you see anything in this book they would transfer to the business world?
Sure, I think there are many. Here are the first four that popped into my head, in no particular order:
1) INSPECT WHAT YOU EXPECT. Subordinates do well the things that the boss inspects. In just about any work environment, "shenanigans" is the default setting. If you don't want shenanigans to ensue in your team, get out there and check on them. Not only will this help them avoid doing the wrong thing, you will often catch them doing the right thing, which is also good. Example: Joe drinking, doing drugs, and generally screwing off at the traffic control points, because they knew there was literally zero chance of someone in authority rolling up on them.
2) LITTLE THINGS, WHEN LEFT UNCHECKED, BECOME BIG THINGS OVER TIME. Allowing subordinates to take shortcuts and ignore rules, even silly-seeming ones, is dangerous from a leadership perspective. If a deviation from a standard is required, then YOU make the call. When you allow your subordinates to pick and choose which rules they follow, they'll eventually abuse it to the point that they'll devolve to the point of doing whatever the hell they want. See also: shenanigans. Example: letting military courtesy and uniform standards slide eventually made the Soldiers in Black Hearts decide that they were the masters of their own disciplinary destiny, to the point where they decided to rape a 14-year-old girl and murder her and her entire family. This does NOT mean that there is a zero-defects standard when it comes to initiative or bona fide operational necessity, but it does mean that if there is a deviation, there better be a damn good reason other than "I felt like it."
3) THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR BEING PHYSICALLY PRESENT. Leadership is a contact sport. You have to be within arm's reach, at least periodically, of your subordinates. And it has to be in their natural habitat, not yours. Get out there and see what they are doing and how they are living. It's hard to manage effectively over email or through VTC, although sometimes that's the only way. This is different from inspections. Be there to lead, especially if a job is dirty, dangerous, or distasteful. Example: SFC Fenlason and CPT Goodwin were considered cowards by their men because they generally "led" from the FOB. This greatly limited their situational awareness, and more importantly, diminished their credibility with their troops.
And that leads us to the last lesson:
4) NEVER GIVE ANYONE A REASON TO THINK YOU"RE A COWARD. EVER. This is physically and morally. This applies up, laterally, and down. Have the guts to hold your own people responsible when it's required, and do what it takes to make sure the behavior is punished or corrected appropriately. Examples: PFC Green (the puported ringleader) was a dirtbag, and everyone knew it. But he was "our" dirtbag, so they kept making excuses for him and covering up for him until... well, if you don't know the details, read the book.
