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2016 Army Law. 38 (2016)
The Power of Being Yourself: A Game Plan for Success by Putting Passion into Your Life and Work

handle is hein.journals/armylaw2016 and id is 647 raw text is: Book Review The Power of Being Yourself: A Game Plan for Success by Putting Passion into Your Life and Work' Reviewed by Major Andrew D. Smith* Iput myself and my own ambitions before him. I was kept away by this business trip or that business trip .... But even when I was home I wasn't present .... I was worrying about my own career rather than the things that I obviously should have been worrying about. I was preoccupied. My heart was more into me than it was into him.2 would seek professional success at any cost. Joe Plumeri seeks to motivate and inspire readers to reach success with his book, The Power of Being Yourself: A Game Plan for Success by Putting Passion into Your Life and Work. Plumeri, an exceptionally successful businessman,3 provides guidance in the form of eight principles. The principles are not profound,4 but Plumeri deftly shows their effectiveness through anecdotal evidence of his own successes. But the true takeaway from the book is that it is equally necessary to apply principles for success in your personal life. Leaders who neglect to prioritize personal relationships may reach professional success, but may do so at great personal cost. The Power of Being Yourself s principles for success are primarily leadership tenets, and theyinclude concepts such as being genuine, having a clear vision, leading from the front and having a purpose.5 The book takes these very simple concepts and provides real-world examples of their effective application in business. Plumeri's optimism and energy radiate from the pages; he inspires the reader to believe that great success is readily attainable. However, the fourth chapter, Let Sadness Teach You, is what truly resonates. Plumeri confronts the reader with the fact that his prolific professional accomplishments came from a workaholic nature that prioritized family last.6 Plumeri ignored his eight principles in his most important relationships, and suffered resulting profound personal tragedy in the form of the death of his son. The book has profound value for civilian and military leaders alike. It provides great ideas and new ways to look at basic leadership concepts, while also issuing a dire warning to those who * Judge Advocate, U.S. Army. Currently assigned as Brigade Judge Advocate ,lst Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, Ft. Riley, Kansas. 'JOE PLUMERI, THE POWER OF BEING YOURSELF: A GAME PLAN FOR SUCCESS BY PUTTING PASSION INTO YOUR LIFE AND WORK (2015). 2 PLUMERI, supra note 1, at 72. ' Joe Plumeri served as the CEO of multiple large corporations, including Willis Group, Citibank North America, and Travelers Primerica Financial Services. He was named to Treasury & Risk magazine's list of100 Most Influential People in Finance in 2009 and 2010. Joseph Plumeri: Vice Chairman, FIRSTDATA, http://www.firstdata.com/en us/about-first- data/leadership-team/joseph-plumeri-bio.html (last visited Oct. 21, 2016) 4 The concepts Plumeri uses to develop his principles are very similar to those found in other books about leadership and inspiration. See e.g., JOHN MAXWELL, THE 21 INDISPENSABLE QUALITIES OF A LEADER: BECOMING II. Useful Insight on Leadership The principles The Power of Being Yourself espouses are not overly technical or hard to understand; they are basic leadership concepts. The simplicity of the principles makes them compelling. They are not business-focused principles; they apply in any field. Plumeri skillfully guides the reader through the application of the principles, giving a first-hand account of how simple principles can make a huge impact on even the most powerful corporations. Plumeri's hands-on approach with subordinates is particularly enlightening. In order to combat his company's impersonal culture, he began writing handwritten notes to employees on a daily basis.7 In an age where electronic communications are the norm, Plumeri wrote notes to let employees know how much he appreciated them and their work.' When I first got there no one would communicate with each other. This was a global company with seventeen thousand people working for it worldwide, and I must have sent thirty, forty, fifty notes a weekend. They caused a commotion. They blew people away. People would have them framed up on the wall. They couldn't believe I took the time to send a handwritten note. That made them feel THE PERSON OTHERS WILL WANT TO FOLLOW (2000) (discussing the importance for a leader to value relationships and to have vision, passion, communication skills, initiative and the ability to listen to your heart). 5 Plumeri's first principle of success is to be yourself, to be genuine. See PLUMERI, supra note 1, at 1-28. His second principle is to have a vision of where you are going. See id. at 29-45. His fifth principle is to lead from the front. See id. At 95-120. His eighth principle is to have purpose. See id. at 169-190. 6 Id. at 69-94. Id. at 138. 8Id. NOVEMBER 2016 • THE ARMY LAWYER • JAG CORPS PROFESSIONAL BULLETIN 27-50-16-11 I. Introduction

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