Imagine having a friend of enormous experience, a long string of accomplishments, real know-how, and who also is a man of unmatched character and integrity. . .

Wouldn’t it be great if you could pick his brain and get his advice on a myriad of challenges you yourself face every day?

Well, you can. Go to the nearest Barnes & Noble and pick up a copy of the recently published book, Conquering Crisis: Ten Lessons To Learn Before You Need Them. The author, a retired U.S. Navy Admiral, is William H. McRaven. You may not remember him by name, but perhaps you remember the speech given by a military man who touted the importance of simply making your bed. That’s him!

I was fortunate to hear him on Brian Kilmeade’s radio show in late April and learned of his brand new back through that channel. I bought my own copy today.

This book is not filled with fluff or platitudes. This man is “real world!” He has courageously faced very serious crises and done so with steely determination and deft navigating of the many tenuous variables. The dimensions of the book are small – about 4.5” x 7”. In 215 pages, the Admiral lays out ten chapters as follows:

Chapter 1: First Reports Are Always Wrong
Chapter 2: Have a Council of Colonels
Chapter 3: Bad News Doesn’t Get Better With Age
Chapter 4: Weaponize the Truth
Chapter 5: Move All your Options Forward
Chapter 6: Trust the Second Law of Thermodynamics
Chapter 7: Don’t Rush to Failure
Chapter 8: Micromanagement Is Not an Ugly Word
Chapter 9: Dictate the Tempo
Chapter 10: There Is Always Time for a Morale Check

I’m well into it and it is very readable and actually quite riveting. The ideas he dispenses will have a strong impact on your life and how you approach your own crises. Take it from me: learn from a master. Get the book. You can thank me later.