About the Book
Truly engaging people is not about commanding them to do something; it is about getting them to command themselves to do it. West Point distinguished graduate Gary Morton knows how to deliver exceptional results while doing just that. As a platoon leader and tank commander in Army Task Force 4-68 and, later, as a young vice president at medical device manufacturer Stryker, Morton learned under two legendary leaders who, despite different styles, followed nearly the same steps to achieve results most considered unattainable. In only a year, Task Force 4-68's commander, Lt. Colonel Alfred L. Dibella, turned one of the Army's poorest performing units into the most lethal, combat-ready task force in the US Army. In simulated-combat missions at the grueling National Training Center, Dibella's task force defeated the constantly triumphant OPFOR in every battle. A feat never repeated. Generals and commanders at every level sought to understand how this unit did the impossible. When John W. Brown became CEO of Stryker, it was a boutique medical device firm with a few innovative products and $17 million in sales.
Under Brown's extraordinary leadership it evolved into a $4 billion market leader feared by competitors and highly regarded by healthcare professionals. Stryker accomplished this remarkable run by securing 20-percent earnings growth every quarter, every year-for twenty-eight years. Again, a feat experts believed unachievable. ?By explaining the ingredients of these two leaders' secret sauce, Morton lays the foundation for current and future leaders to ensure their own teams excellence.
About the Author :
West Point distinguished graduate Gary Morton had a five-year career as a tank officer, the highlight of which was being part of an extraordinary unit that achieved unprecedented results at the US Army's grueling National Training Center--the only unit to ever win every simulated battle it fought. Gary also graduated with an MS degree from the University of Southern California with honors. After the Army, he joined medical-device manufacturer Stryker, where he held positions of increasing responsibility in project management, engineering, R&D, operations, marketing, and business leadership, all culminating in twelve years as Vice President and General Manager of the EMS equipment business that he cofounded. An innovative juggernaut, Stryker EMS grew to become the global leader in patient-handling equipment for the ambulance market. His team introduced game-changing products that have redefined how paramedics handle patients in emergency situations throughout the developed world. Today, he is retired from Stryker and lives with his wife in the Midwest, where he writes and invests. You can learn more at www.iGaryMorton.com.
Review :
Commanding Excellence accurately portrays an insider's view from someone who knows all the agony, pain, and triumph from living through the gyrations of a Stryker experience. It intimately relates how to be competitive and how to win.
-- "John W. Brown, fmr Chairman, President, CEO, Stryker Corporation"
Commanding Excellence highlights three simple proven concepts that are critical to success of a unit in combat or a business in the marketplace. Gary Morton has captured them perfectly. If you want success as a leader in a complex environment read Commanding Excellence and follow it!
-- "General Bryan "Doug" Brown, US Army, Ret.; fmr cdr, USSOCOM"
Commanding Excellence reveals the secret sauce to building an organizational passion that wholeheartedly supports those closest to the customer in a business or those on the front lines in a military unit. Such alignment drives astounding success. If you want to deliver exceptional results at any level in an organization, pick up and read this powerful book!
-- "Paul Speigelman, author of NYT bestseller Patients Come Second"
A compelling read. Based on his personal experience, Gary Morton has analyzed two remarkable organizations and two equally remarkable leaders and served up a timeless story of leadership and how to accomplish that which is seemingly out of reach. If you are a leader or want to be one, this is Leadership 101--and 102.
-- "General Scott Wallace, US Army, Ret.; fmr cdr, TRADOC and V Corps"
Convincing a team to believe in a vision takes sponsorship, commitment, and strong leadership. Commanding Excellence demonstrates how to create a culture that everyone commits to from the boardroom to the battlefield. A must-read for anyone who works in a goal-oriented environment.
-- "Dave Jones, fmr Senior VP, Holiday Inn"
Gary Morton delivers innovative leadership lessons with entertaining insider stories that I wish I had access to when I started Ensighten. If you want to win, read Commanding Excellence and see the power of human energy and creativity focused on a common goal.
-- "Josh Manion, founder & CEO, Ensighten; FIDE International Master"
Gary Morton hits the target in showing how two men took disparate, ordinary entities and lifted them to world-class excellence. Commanding Excellence is a primer on leadership. You'll see how these extraordinary men with vision, professionalism, charisma, intelligence, and integrity established operating environments that made their men and women buy into the established goals, take them as their own, and truly set the standards for their fields. Their personal dedication and drive coupled with their unquestioned respect for those who worked with and for them led to a tremendous force multiplier for one tank battalion and a medical manufacturing company. Teamwork is what made it all work, and Gary Morton, who saw it firsthand in both outfits, is the perfect one to tell the story of attained excellence. Read this outstanding story, and see how truly superb outfits can be formed and operate.
-- "Lt. Gen. Tom Griffin, US Army, Ret.; fmr cdr, Berlin Bde, 3rd AD"
I've had the good fortune to experience the leadership impact of John Brown firsthand. Without question, Gary captures John's wisdom, clear direction, and unrelenting focus on results. Anyone who wants to understand the fundamentals of successful leadership needs to read this thought-provoking comparison of two inspiring leaders.
-- "Jim "Coach" Heath, fmr President, Stryker Instruments"
Many books have been penned about leadership. Commanding Excellence stands out as the best in its approach to define leadership skills and techniques. Morton parallels his experiences as a member of an extraordinary military unit as well as a successful company. His experiences as a team member gave him extraordinary examples of successful leaders. This book is a must-read and highly recommended for those seeking excellence in both personal and team leadership.
-- "Lanny R. Copeland, MD, Chief Medical Officer for LifePoint Health"
Morton witnessed firsthand and has clearly described two examples of extraordinarily effective leadership in two entirely different types of organizations. The author captured specific examples of and portrayed keen insight into effective leaders solving common organizational problems and achieving unique results. The serious student of leadership will complete this entertaining and informative narrative with a handful of practical ideas and would gain even more with repeated study.
-- "Major General Richard E. Davis, US Army, Ret."
When I look back on those magical, almost mythical days, I obviously do so through my own personal memory reticle--as does Gary Morton and every other man who served in that special combat unit. But what Gary does so beautifully in this book is combine all our reticles into one giant aperture, then analyze the reminiscences, and, finally, distill them down into a handful of precious categories. No one else I know has both the boots-on-the-ground expertise and the intellectual and literary skills to do that. Then he does the same thing with John Brown's Stryker.
-- "Colonel Alfred L. Dibella Jr., US Army, Ret.; fmr cdr, TF4-68"
