First Man In: Leading from the Front

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Afghan was hard. I was lead man in an area where there was a 50/50 chance of one of my squad getting killed. My mission was to make sure none of my men died. “The only people who get killed in Afghan are those who don’t know their demons,” I said. I saw that one of my blokes was shitting himself. I asked him what he thought we were doing here. “Killing the cunts,” he yelled. I knew then he was going to be OK. Also we don't know how good a leader he really was, as we only have his word for it. Yes, he got awarded by the military, yes he was in the 3 elite forces, but what did his men think of him really? Maybe they thought he was a twat too. Maybe you only get to be in 3 elite forces by being a complete knob. I haven't seen any of the TV programmes, maybe you get a better sense of him through those? Reading Ant Middleton’s real-life experiences, which feature these lessons in action, shows you a ground-level perspective. However, you could easily read these summarised tips all on their own. They’re thoughtful, punchy, and abridge big concepts into steps you can take right now. Some even show different ways you could apply them in certain environments as a manager in a civvie position, rather than just as an elite soldier. Becoming a leader through sheer determination and confronting life’s challenges Useful for More Than Just Leadership Positions

This doesn’t come across as preachy or ‘inspirational’ to the point of being inauthentic. A strong point is made in the early chapters, and the methods of accomplishing this are spread organically throughout the rest of the book. The focus is always about becoming a leader, not just how you can act like one. No Questions Left UnansweredFrom how to establish yourself in a group, how to set yourself apart, to ways you can strengthen a team even from a supporting position, Ant Middleton’s ‘First Man In’ provides an all-encompassing look at being a leader. This makes the insights easy to apply no matter where you are in your existing or aspiring hierarchy. Personal Development as Well as Leadership Development At some point I got married again. This time it was for food. Because there were three people in the marriage. Me, Emilie and my demons. I also trained for the Special Boat Service. But that’s something for me and my demons. Since leaving the SBS, I’ve done a lot of TV work. Helping people confront their demons. Helping people to be the real them by sailing across the Pacific in a shit boat. We did that. Now they are the real them. Not the real you. Because only you can be the real you. Nebenbei gibt er in seinem Buch nützliche Leadershipskill-Tipps, die ich weitestgehend mitgehen würde. Alles in allem, eine sehr bereichernde Geschichte, aus der ich viel mitnehmen konnte. After a while, I realised 9 Para wasn’t for me. There was too much macho shit in the regiment. The reality was they weren’t nearly as hard as they thought they were. That’s because they didn’t know themselves. Like you don’t know yourself. I know myself. I know my demons. We all have demons. You may not think you have demons. But I can guarantee you do. And your demons have to be confronted. Most refreshing, some points discuss being a leader even when you’re not in a leadership position. Not everyone will be the first man in. But, there’s a great value to being an authority even in a supporting role. This book describes how to have a leadership mentality and how to be a stronger team player. Moreover, how to use these strengths even when you’re not in command.

At the end of each chapter, there is a summary that outlines the lessons described in each portion of the book. It’s structured in a way that’s easy to reference for later use. Furthermore, it rephrases the points in more concise, actionable ways. My childhood. My father died when I was young. The next day, my mother had taken down all his photos and married someone else. That’s all you need to know. You don’t know me. Only I know me. My stepfather was a hard bastard. When I was having a tough time in school, he told me to hit the bully. So I broke his jaw. It felt good. The bully didn’t bother me again. I like Ant's no nonsense approach to situations. As well as his journey on finding his own balance, his he is honest about his mistakes, but again these were also his teachers. Another message is that life is not about lessons learned, but the learning must continue throught a person's life.This book follows Ant Middleton’s journey as a soldier and as an individual. It delves into his early life, his personal relationships, his jumps between careers and goals. Moreover, it explores his experiences as – quite literally – the first man into the fray. From his newly gained fame in television to his many positions in the British Military, this book – refreshingly – provides a clear look at Middleton as a person. Importantly, however, it never strays too far from the actionable insights this book promises. Condensed and Easy to Reference ‘What We’ve Learned’ Sections Obviously this is how he came across to me in the book. He's probably a perfectly nice person. I also have to remember that the book had editors and they probably told him what to leave in and leave out etc and that coloured how he came across.