Leadership advice from Bear Grylls - Facing the Frozen Ocean

For more on the book visit Amazon. Picked up a copy from my local library as it was the only title by Bear Grylls they had. Having heard a bit about this chap I wanted to learn more and was blown away by this book.

As well as being a gripping read, it contains sound advice on building and leading a team. The problem Bear set out to solve was the crossing of the North Atlantic in an open boat (a RHIB). Points of note were:

• The team he assembled had the required mix of expertise, but instead of seeking out the very best in each field, Bear looked for people who were passionate about achieving his goal and excellent team-players.

• Bear took a pure leadership / management role in solving the problem: he left the team use their own skills to solve problems to the best of their ability. He "merely" made strategic decisions and more importantly served the team as a servant-leader whenever possible.