Good Habits for Leaders

[October 10, 2025]  A few years ago, I wrote several electronic books on “Good Habits for Leaders.”  The latest edition is posted here, and after all this time, it remains up to date.  There are 38 good habits listed and explained, and I was somewhat satisfied after compiling them in this ebook format, as those I led in the U.S. Army could easily access them.

“Leadership is about getting people to do things they would not normally do. Great leadership is about getting people to do this because they want to do it.  This is best achieved when leaders develop and maintain good habits in the performance of their duties. Leaders adopt values that support those good habits, and I intend in this book to highlight a few of those values and habits.” – Good Habits for Leaders, page v (2018 Edition)

Compiling this list of good habits was easy, as there are so many of them to choose from. I’d accumulated a long list of habits from which to make the list. One thing I learned putting this ebook together was that there were also bad habits that I needed to break. I did that one at a time. The first step in achieving the goal of becoming a better, more decisive leader is to identify the habits you need to maintain and those you need to develop in your life.

The first habit I identified as Good Habit #1 was “Never Assume Anything (of consequence).”  We all do it.  We would not be who we are without possessing certain types of assumptions.  We can also identify who we are by what assumptions we make.  The problem, however, is that assumptions are a part of everyday life, given that we often lack sufficient resources to verify the truth every time.

The challenge is to identify the assumptions you are making and then attempt to validate them.  This can be time-consuming.  The U.S. Army has a specific process for creating complex orders, known as the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP).  Those in lower leadership positions have been formally trained in the MDMP, and within that process is a section that explicitly lists and then validates your assumptions.  It’s not easy, but necessary.

For leaders, the best way to get to the truth and eliminate assumptions is to talk with many people about the issue. That is what most of us do. If we were to ask people throughout any organization about their thoughts on a particular issue, we would be amazed at the feedback concerning assumptions.

I recommend my ebook.  It’s very easily read, with one good leadership habit per page.  Anyone can read it for free.  Alternatively, you can download it and place it where you can easily access it on your computer or mobile device.  I also recommend reading my blog daily and another book that helps you become a better person and leader: 55 Rules for a Good Life.  You won’t regret the choice you made to read it.

————

Please read my books:

1. “55 Rules for a Good Life,” on Amazon (link here).
2. “Our Longest Year in Iraq,” on Amazon (link here).