Becoming a Self-Reliant Leader: How Grit and Disciplined Duty Forge Indomitable Teams

Jan and Jacquie's work shows the kaleidoscopic nature of leadership -- from every perspective, leaders face a challenge. It is critical for individuals to learn about leading themselves, leading others, and leading their organization. Those three complementary features are the core of successful, mature, and empathetic leadership, whether within the U.S. military, a Fortune 500 company, or in the depths of the Grand Canyon. Our ability to achieve our goal is a product of our ability to find our inner groundbreaker, to push past our limits, and to see the bigger picture, no matter where we are. With Becoming a Self-Reliant Leader, we have unfettered access to how to begin that process, and how to extend ourselves to new heights in our ethics, our capacity for courage, and our ability to remain resilient amidst ever-growing uncertainty.

Reading about others’ experiences on wilderness expeditions brought great color to the impactful leadership lessons inside Becoming a Self-Reliant Leader. By owning your own behaviors and allowing yourself to be vulnerable, you increase the trust your team has in you. By building the “right” team, versus the “best” team, and demonstrating your belief in their ability, you build a high performing team. I am already leveraging the insights with my own team and seeing results.

In any kind of extreme environment, survival is a team effort. Being part of a team I can count on is always critical to success when it comes to climbing big mountains--whether they are literal or figurative. The stories in this book capture the struggles of taking on the unknown and growing stronger in doing so, while bringing the lessons back to the office. You will laugh, be inspired and become even more self-reliant.

Through years of leading high performing teams, I've found that by creating a space for teammates to be deeply heard, they are more likely to align with the purpose of the organization while striving for continued growth for themselves and the team. This book gives leaders practical advice on how to create that culture whether on the side of a mountain or in the office.

After a career of leading special operations forces across the globe, I remain curious about leadership ,team building, and impact. Jan and Jacquie have written a book that is so insightful that I’m compelled to share with my son who is a budding Army leader. They seamlessly overlay Crucible Expedition experiences with commonly encountered leadership challenges in a way that is immediately valuable and applicable to your next venture or adventure. This book will make you a better leader, no matter where you are along the journey.