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Ann Dunwoody

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A Higher Standard: Leadership Strategies from America's First Female Four-Star General Kindle Edition

by Ann Dunwoody (Author), Sheryl Sandberg (Foreword) Format: Kindle Edition

4.6 291 ratings

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On June 23, 2008, President George W. Bush nominated Ann Dunwoody as a four-star general in the US Army-the first time a woman had ever achieved that rank. The news generated excitement around the world. Now retired after nearly four decades in the Army, Dunwoody shares what she learned along the way, from her first command leading 100 soldiers to her final assignment, in which she led a 60 billion enterprise of over 69,000 employees, including the Army's global supply chain in support of Iraq and Afghanistan.

What was the driving force behind Dunwoody's success? While her talent as a logistician and her empathy in dealing with fellow soldiers helped her rise through the ranks, Dunwoody also realized that true leaders never stop learning, refining, growing, and adapting. In A Higher Standard, Dunwoody details her evolution as a soldier and reveals the core leadership principles that helped her achieve her historic appointment. Dunwoody's strategies are applicable to any leader, no matter the size or scope of the organization. They include lessons such as "Never Walk by a Mistake," a mandate to recognize when something is wrong, big or small, and to hold people accountable. Not only can this save billions for industry, it can sometimes save the lives of soldiers and citizens. She also advises that "Leaders Aren't Invincible-Don't Try to Be": to be our best, we have to acknowledge our worst. And she encourages readers to "Leverage the Power of Diversity" by creating teams of people from different backgrounds to provide a broad range of ideas and devise the best-informed decisions.

With these and other guiding principles, A Higher Standard offers practical, tactical advice that everyone can use to lead and achieve with maximum success.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As this book shows, [Dunwoody's] commitment to and zeal for service haven't ended with her military retirement."

-- "Walter Isaacson, president and CEO, Aspen Institute and New York Times bestselling author"

"A must-read for all leaders in every sector."

-- "Frances Hesselbein, President and CEO, Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute"

"An amazing, uplifting story--and an important one for us to learn from."

-- "General Stanley McChrystal, United States Army, (ret.)"

About the Author

General Ann Dunwoody, US Army, (ret.) is the former commanding general of one of the Armys largest commands, the United States Army Materiel Command. Now retired, she offers strategic insights to companies and corporate boards. In addition to becoming the first woman in United States military history to achieve the rank of four-star general, she was also the first woman to command a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division and Fort Braggs first female general officer.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00PWX7T18
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; Illustrated edition (April 28, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 28, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Print length ‏ : ‎ 290 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,163,044 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #232 in Encyclopedias (Kindle Store)
- #248 in Military Encyclopedias
- #782 in Business Encyclopedias

Customer Reviews:
4.6 291 ratings

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Ann Dunwoody

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In November of 2008, General Dunwoody became the first woman in military history to achieve the rank of four-star general. She had already been the first woman to command a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division, and Fort Bragg’s first female general officer in 2000.

General Dunwoody is the former commanding general of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, which is one of the largest commands in the Army with more than 69,000 employees and presence in all 50 states and 145 countries.

In 2005, Dunwoody became the Army’s top-ranking female when she received the promotion to lieutenant general (three stars) and became the Army’s deputy chief of staff, G-4 (logistics) at the Pentagon. During her more than 30 years as a quartermaster corps officer she led many organizations at home and abroad, commanding at every level.

Dunwoody deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield/Operation Desert Storm in 1990. In 2001, as the 1st Corps support command commander, she deployed the logistics task force in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and stood up the Joint Logistics Command in Uzbekistan in support of the combined joint task force. Later, as commander of surface deployment and distribution command, she supported the largest deployment and redeployment of U.S. forces since WWII. She officially retired after 38 years of service in 2012.

Dunwoody has recently been appointed to the board of directors of L-3 Communications, which employs over 51,000 people worldwide. She is also on the board of LMI, a well-respected government consulting firm and Republic Services, Inc. She is a member of The Aspen Institute's Franklin Project Leadership Council. Her husband, Colonel Craig Brotchie, U.S. Air Force (ret.), sits on the Board of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

A straight shooter who tells it like it is, she is uniquely qualified to teach, inspire, empower and entertain readers of all ages through her tried and true “Leadership Truths.”

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291 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and inspiring. They appreciate the valuable leadership lessons and profound philosophy presented in the book. The story is described as compelling and motivating. Readers praise the author's honest, authentic, and genuine approach. They also appreciate her humility and kindness.

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Readability Leadership lessons Story quality Writing style Strength Authenticity Humility

42 customers mention "Readability"42 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and inspiring. They say it's a great read for young women, and a must-read for leaders and warriors. The personal approach is unique to the book, providing a down-to-earth view of the Army.

"...This achieved an interesting effect that I think is unique to this book...." Read more

"Outstanding book -" Read more

"...The book is well written and most enjoyable to read...." Read more

"A good read, but it might be considered as a textbook for a leadership course." Read more

33 customers mention "Leadership lessons"33 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's leadership lessons insightful and profound. They say it provides practical strategies to increase learning and personal development perspectives from a superb military leader. The book offers useful information that can be applied in everyday work life.

"...She gave profound philosophy and innovative application on her rise to success, teaching us that excellence must become a way of life- not a..." Read more

"Excellent sharing of lessons learned about effective leadership through experience, expert mentoring, military training and hard work." Read more

"...into the person she is--cool, calm, collected--very strong and principled, but not over bearing; considerate of others but not afraid to make the..." Read more

"...Ann is not that she’s a woman, but that she is a spectacular and inspiring leader.”..." Read more

20 customers mention "Story quality"20 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's story compelling and motivating. They describe it as a great chronicle of her career and the many lessons she learned. The takeaways are woven within her personal story and allow for an understanding of her drive to achieve excellence. However, some readers feel the tapes are boring.

"...Her personal approach shines through her narrative in a fresh perspective on the constantly evolving topic of leadership...." Read more

"...was especially interesting to me was that this is not a sequential narrative of her career...." Read more

"...The book is about a very successful woman who does not shove gender in your face. And the book is full of honesty....a great deal of honesty...." Read more

"...These takeaways are woven within her personal story and, as a result, allow for an insightful and moving read...." Read more

14 customers mention "Writing style"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's writing style engaging and down-to-earth. They appreciate the author's personal approach and straightforward solutions. The book is described as an easy read with a personable tone.

"...General Dunwoody's book is an amazing, personable literary work...." Read more

"...The book is well written and most enjoyable to read...." Read more

"...read the book, but I listened to the audio version and it was exceptionally well done...." Read more

"...In a down to earth, personalized approach, we see the big picture of the Army as a whole...." Read more

8 customers mention "Strength"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's message of strength. They find it encouraging and uplifting, describing the author as strong, determined, and successful. The book highlights the importance of compromise and integrity in building a strong organization. Readers also feel positive about the quality of the armed services and their professional leadership.

"...crown jewel of a life of remarkable achievement, human growth, and resiliency...." Read more

"...is very insightful into the person she is--cool, calm, collected--very strong and principled, but not over bearing; considerate of others but not..." Read more

"...employee (and particularly leaders) is that they have desire and integrity while also remaining a constant learner. That is Ann Dunwoody...." Read more

"...book could have been Without Compromise, for this is the simple secret to building a strong, effective organization that General Anne Dunwoody..." Read more

5 customers mention "Authenticity"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's authenticity. They find the author honest, providing useful information and a true tribute to compassionate leadership. The writing style is factual and interesting.

"...want to share it with your children. Gen.Dunwoody is open and honest, her book invites you into the personal life journey that resulted in..." Read more

"...Honest, compelling and full of wisdom for anyone wanting to be a better leader." Read more

"...A true tribute to compassionate leadership, affirmation that kindness does not belie strength...." Read more

"...Excellent writing style. Factual as well as interesting." Read more

4 customers mention "Humility"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the humble yet inspiring personality of Ann Dunwoody. They find her down-to-earth and the writing style reflects her down-to-Earth personality.

"...General Dunwoody's writing style reflects her down to earth personality...." Read more

"...Ann Dunwoody is humble, yet inspiring in the story of her achievement as 4 Star General...." Read more

"...our modern military and rises to the top with common sense and a humble approach. Well done Ma'am!" Read more

"This is a great inspirational read. She's a humble ordinary woman who has done extraordinary deeds and raised the bar for military women." Read more

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James Ticknor
Effective Leadership Principles--With Historic Results!
Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2015
Verified Purchase

She may have 4 stars, but her book has 5!

General Dunwoody's book is the crown jewel of a life of remarkable achievement, human growth, and resiliency. Her personal approach shines through her narrative in a fresh perspective on the constantly evolving topic of leadership. She gave profound philosophy and innovative application on her rise to success, teaching us that excellence must become a way of life- not a concept.

I sensed that, while she recognized she set many firsts for her gender's role in the military, she is more humbled than pleased by this fact. In her book, she emphasizes a higher sense of duty as opposed to individualism.

This book finds it's merit on the importance of professional development and leadership, making it clear that the stakes keep going up as you progress through life. The beautiful nature of A Higher Standard is that she details what worked for her. It allows the reader, with few exceptions, to infer their own leadership principles using her as a kind of case study.

At first, I wondered why the book didn't follow a logical sequence of time, as some other reviewers have noted. However, she made it clear that this book was not a memoir, so I did not mind. This achieved an interesting effect that I think is unique to this book. By not following a logical time sequence, she made me realize that some leadership abilities/concepts she learned later in life may have aided her in earlier years. What's inspiring about that is, regardless, her resiliency and willingness to learn allowed her to rise to the top.

There's only one thing that I can offer as a critique, and it is inconsequential. I would have switched Chapter 10 and Chapter 11. I understand wanting to close with summarizing the title's message, but I feel that could've been included in Chapter 10. Then, switching the two chapters. Several consistent themes that were present in the book (i.e. running in the dark) were brought to closure in Chapter 10, and I feel resulted in a better sense of ending for the book. Combined with the symbolism of a rising dawn, it would've been my preference.

However, formatting did not in any way detract from the message. General Dunwoody's book is an amazing, personable literary work. Many soon-to-be, active, and veteran leaders would benefit from the profound insights of this extraordinary woman.

If you're still on the fence- just do yourself a favor and BUY IT!

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lindor18
Worth reading
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2024
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Outstanding book -

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Anonymous
General Dunwoody's wonderful career made leadership sound easy.
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2015
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Excellent sharing of lessons learned about effective leadership through experience, expert mentoring, military training and hard work.

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patricia hickerson
Well written and most enjoyable to read.
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
After reading this book, I admire Gen Dunwoody even more than I already did! The book is well written and most enjoyable to read. She provides great examples of leadership and learning as she navigates you through her career. What was especially interesting to me was that this is not a sequential narrative of her career. Instead, each chapter is a story or lesson unto itself, always making a point or leading to an interesting conclusion. It makes you want to quickly get to the next chapter. It also is very insightful into the person she is--cool, calm, collected--very strong and principled, but not over bearing; considerate of others but not afraid to make the tough decisions. Doesn't give up on critical issues; very smart. Communicates exceptionally effectivelly. At the end, you know without a doubt she is an exceptional person who earned and deserved her four stars.

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2 people found this helpful

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baytoms@aol.com
I Learned From This Book
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2015
Verified Purchase
When you read this book by a retired US Army General Officer you will feel encouraged about the quality of our armed services and its professional leadership. And when you read this book you will have grown to really like Ann Dunwoody. The book is about a very successful woman who does not shove gender in your face. And the book is full of honesty....a great deal of honesty. It tells of a woman who can give and take a punch and continue to rise again without a public whine.

The most import aspect of any good employee (and particularly leaders) is that they have desire and integrity while also remaining a constant learner. That is Ann Dunwoody. Read the Chapter on Courage (Ch5) It is very good. And the email written by General Dunwoody to her superior on page 109 is just plain great. I loved it. Wish I had written it myself. Also, later in the book, her clear views of diversity which highlight 'diversity of thought' are rarely publically championed by today's visible leaders.

General Dunwoody's core principles for leadership are well worth the investment in reading this book. A condensed group study guide might be practicable. Additionally, photo section would be a great add to a new edition if publisher would allow. At least one picture of some of the Iron Mountains would make this taxpayer smile.

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15 people found this helpful

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David Merritt
Excellent book in print or audio....
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is an excellent book written by an excellent Soldier. Ann and I were never stationed together and I was never in one of her commands, but we crossed paths many times and we worked for the same people a couple of times. Much of what she wrote rings a personal bell. She has much to be proud of and like all good leaders she characterizes goodness by the number of people she was able to help. That's the kind of leadership that really means something. Quality mentorship is a prize that so many people have to offer, but they never do. Ann certainly did. It rings true throughout her book and you can tell she worked for some fantastic people who mentored her well. I didn't have time to actually read the book, but I listened to the audio version and it was exceptionally well done. For those of you don't have time to read as much as you would like, consider the audio version as well. It's truly the content that counts and General Dunwoody nailed this one.

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Jack
One woman's story of a successful Army career
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2015
Verified Purchase
A good read, but it might be considered as a textbook for a leadership course.

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A Higher Standard: Leadership Strategies from America's First Female Four-Star General Kindle Edition

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Effective Leadership Principles--With Historic Results!

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading

4.0 out of 5 stars General Dunwoody's wonderful career made leadership sound easy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and most enjoyable to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars I Learned From This Book

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book in print or audio....

3.0 out of 5 stars One woman's story of a successful Army career

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Effective Leadership Principles--With Historic Results!

Worth reading

General Dunwoody's wonderful career made leadership sound easy.

Well written and most enjoyable to read.

I Learned From This Book

Excellent book in print or audio....

One woman's story of a successful Army career