How to lead like a marine.

The Next Big Idea Daily newsletter?(SUBSCRIBE)?is written by me,?Michael Kovnat, and gathers insights from today’s leading non-fiction authors. It’s a companion to our?Next Big Idea Daily?podcast, available on?Apple?or?Spotify.

I used to think I wanted to join the Marines. I didn't actually want to, I just thought I did. I was attracted to the idea of discipline, competence, camaraderie, and maybe a little macho swagger that I thought the US Marine Corp would give me.

In reality, I knew I wouldn't last a day. At least if the movies are a reliable guide (and when have they not been?), there seem to be way more push-ups involved than I'm comfortable with. And the whole following orders and shooting people thing -- not for me.

But I do find that I pay special attention when military people speak. Having skipped all the hard parts of the armed forces, I still imagine veterans carry some special wisdom, forged on the battlefield or in basic training, that even I, leading my soft life, can learn from.

And I'm in luck, because the military-self-help-business genre seems to be a robust one these days. Just this year in the Next Big Idea Club, we've featured books like Never Enough: A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility, and Meaning, The Art of Clear Thinking: A Stealth Fighter Pilot's Timeless Rules for Making Tough Decisions, and Surf When You Can: Lessons in Life, Loyalty, and Leadership from a Maverick Navy Captain.

This week on the Next Big Idea Daily podcast, we heard from a pair of writers named John Warren and John Thompson, who both served in the U.S. Marine Corps and did tours in Iraq. When they retired from active duty, like many veterans, they struggled a bit to adapt to civilian life. But when John and John decided to start a business together, they realized the lessons they’d learned from the Corp could serve them well as entrepreneurs.

Having turned their venture -- Lima One Capital -- into a successful lender for real estate investors -- they decided to offer up what they’d been taught in the Marines to other aspiring business leaders. They gathered their ideas in the new book Lead Like a Marine: Run Towards a Challenge, Assemble Your Fireteam, and Win Your Next Battle. If you, too, would like to learn what the Marines have to offer from the comfort of your own couch, have a listen.

Hear the big ideas from Lead Like a Marine:

And while you're in listening mode, check out the other authors we heard from this week:

• Why humor can be a superpower in business and life, according to Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonis of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
• Why it's sometimes a good idea to lie to ourselves, according to science journalist Shankar Vedantam.
• What racism costs us and how we can prosper together, according to bestselling author Heather McGhee.
• Why perfection is a trap and how to get out of it, according to psychology professor Thomas Curran .

Do you think you have something to learn from the military, even if, like me, you never signed up? Let me know in the comments.

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