Staring Down the Wolf: Not Recommended For…

I have read most books written by Mark Divine, but Staring Down the Wolf; 7 leadership commitments that forge elite teams (Amazon) is the first one explicitly about leadership in business. As usual in my reviews, I will take the perspective of who this book is not for so that you can avoid wasting time.

Staring Down the Wolf by Mark DIvine is not for people that don’t like military stories, practical exercises in self-awareness, or who are looking for a challenge-free read. The book is much better suited for military veterans or civilians with a desire to know how military operations work and who are willing to engage in the exercises.

With that said, let’s figure out if this book is a good fit for you or something that you should avoid; let’s go!

The Author; Mark Divine, Former Navy Seal Commander

Mark Divine is a retired Navy SEAL officer, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He is best known for his work in the fields of leadership, mental toughness, and mindfulness.

I personally really appreciate Mark Divine’s way of blending emotional perspectives with physical and taking it to a new level by merging these with a spirit and all the while putting it in a military context which is highly relatable to anyone who has ever been in service.

The Book; Staring Down the Wolf; 7 Leadership Commitments That Forge Elite Teams

I have spent almost 13 years as a military officer in the army, and of course, one of our most challenging tasks is to lead people through assignments they initially don’t want to do. So when trying to develop that skill set, reading books and learning from other leaders is essential, which led me to Mark Divine’s books.

The book is filled with military stories from either training and preparations in the US or deployments in Iraq.

For those of you who are not interested in the military perspective on things, this is not a book for you since most conclusions and perspectives are drawn from military activities and then implemented into business, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

I find this highly interesting because I can understand the situations he’s talking about. However, for someone entirely civilian, it might be hard to see the relationship between war and successful businesses.

Which Are the Seven Commitments?

1. Courage, playing it safe can get you killed develop a high tolerance for risk.
2. Trust, there are three elements of trust transparency, humility, and follow-through.
3. Respect, there are three key character traits of respect, integrity, authenticity, and clarity.
4. Grow, you must dedicate yourself, your team, and the business to growth.
5. Excellence, strive for excellence rather than perfection.
6. Resiliency, things will get tough, will you get back up?
7. Alignment, if it’s not aligned with your purpose, you probably shouldn’t do it.

Who This Book Is Not For?

While I think this has been a useful book for me to read, and I’ve learned a lot from it, I do think there’s only a narrow audience that will find this highly relevant.

So who will most likely not benefit from reading, Staring Down the Wolf: 7 leadership commitments that forge elite teams (that’s such a long title…)?

You will probably dislike the book if:

• You don’t like military stories.
• You don’t see business as war or conflict but rather as an infinite game (Simon Sinek).
• You are not interested in practical exercises.
• You want something easy to read that doesn’t challenge you.
• You don’t believe in meditation practices as box breathing.

If you don’t have a genuine military interest or a background in the armed forces, I think you will find staring down the wolf unrelatable and uninteresting since that is the central talkpoint in this book.

Who This Book Is For?

While I have enjoyed reading most of Mark Divine’s books, this is probably the one book that I got the least value from (Unbeatable Mind is much better, Amazon link); the stories are highly relatable and very engaging. Mark is really good at making the connection between scenarios of war and business; he speaks a lot of characters and people that he knows of, which makes the book come alive and something much more than just a leadership textbook.

The book doesn’t make a lot of sense if you want something only theoretical since every chapter has practical exercises. You will really get the most benefits out of this book if you fully commit to it as a course rather than a book.

Most examples are drawn from well-known conflicts around the world, such as the Iraq invasion or Mogadishu black hawk down scenario. This means most readers can recognize the stories, which makes the book more enjoyable to read.

This is a great book for you if:

• You’re interested in, or can relate to, military stories about extreme ownership.
• You want to understand how military leadership can improve your business.
• You are willing to practice box breathing and self-awareness.
• You want to access specific self-management tools used by the Navy Seals.

If you have experience in the armed forces or you have the inclination to like military stories, then I think Staring Down the Wolf can be a really useful leadership development tool for you.