Summary Of Character In Action By Donald T. Phillips

The United States Coast Guard lives and breathes leadership. Every person throughout their organization is made a leader. This book is written by former Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, James M. Loy, and best selling author, Donald T. Phillips. Loy and Phillips work together to express how the Coast Guard is a prime example of an organization that utilizes both leadership and management at all levels of the organization. The book provides numerous case studies that prove the Coast Guard knows what leadership is, how it works, and why it is important. This book is complete with examples, anecdotes, and guidelines on how to install leadership throughout an entire organization. Their examples can be used as a beacon for all organizations that want to infuse leadership onto every single one of its members.
Phillips breaks down the content into four parts– setting the foundation, focusing on people, instilling a bias for action, and ensuring the future. The way Phillips decided to layout this book made the material very easy to read. Readers can either read the book front cover to back, or jump around to lessons and case studies that seem of interest to them. Within each of the four sections are subdivisions that contain case studies, which apply to each section. The stories and lessons shared within each of these parts all convey a different example of how the Coast Guard efficiently practices leadership and management on a daily basis. Many studies that are done on leadership involve a single person and how that person has made a difference in the company. “Character in Action” provides leadership stories involving many people and how they have worked together to make a difference in our nation. Their success all starts with setting the