A logical question to ask would be, “Does the world really need another book on leadership?” Hasn’t everything already been said?

A lot certainly has been said about leadership from The Bible to The Leadership Lessons of (fill in the blank) from Ghengis Khan to Winston Churchill to Abraham Lincoln.

But I would submit this book of leadership lessons is authentic, timely, cleanly written, and deeply relevant to the business community today — something missing from so many in this genre.

Let’s start with authentic: Captain Al Fraser, USN (Ret) is an American original. He has never pulled a punch nor has he puffed himself or anyone else up. He lives his life as the embodiment of the principles of leadership you will find in “Damn the Torpedoes.” From his beginnings at the US Naval Academy through multiple command tours and especially his well-regarded leadership of AEGIS Cruiser CAPE ST GEORGE, he has been a stand out in inspiring his team, serving his Sailors, and accomplishing the mission.

When I worked for then-Lieutenant Commander Al Fraser on AEGIS Cruiser VALLEY FORGE three decades ago, I knew I was part of a team. He perfectly balanced the need for mission success with caring for his entire wardroom and crew. Al was at home with the extensive use of humor, high energy creativity, and rock-solid integrity. He led from the front and made sure everyone in the 400-man crew improved and developed even as we won awards and performed in real world seagoing operations.

The book is also timely — as the business community seeks new leadership approaches, emerges from the 2008 market crash, and inculcates new standards of corporate behavior, the lessons of Navy life are plentiful and helpful. And Al Fraser ought to know — he capped a superb career of command at sea in the Navy by becoming a President in Ted Turner’s global enterprise. No one else can truly fuse the full experiences of BOTH a successful Naval career AND a full business success as well as Captain Fraser.

Finally, it is well and truly written. It is worth noting that in a vast sea of turgid leadership jargon, “Damn the Torpedoes” cuts across the rhetorical seas with clean, lean prose. Never verbose or wordy, this is a book that can easily be digested and put to use in a day. It crackles with positive energy and leaves the reader smelling the tang of salt air, and inspired to get underway toward new seas. As we say in the Navy, this is a book to which one can say, “Godspeed and Open Water.” It is destined to be a classic.

James Stavridis, PhD
Admiral, US Navy (Retired)
Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, 2009-2013
Dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
Tufts University