Stand Up Straight is a very useful little book, which was recommended to me by one of the lads I got talking to at the Jason Fox tour the other night. (Andy, if you're reading this; Hi! And thanks - it's a cool book!) I downloaded it that same night and I have enjoyed the snippets of wisdom it has to offer.
The book is written in the same vein as Admiral McRaven's Make Your Bed, which I enjoyed immensely some time ago. However, Stand Up Straight is written from an entirely British Military perspective and details the training given to potential Officer candidates at Sandhurst.
Broken up into ten chapters, each with its own life lesson, the book wings along at a good pace, covering topics such as organisation, habits, failure, beliefs and so on. I enjoyed the section on the leadership qualities of wolves, which is something that I have written about on my blog in the past. Wolves are fabulous creatures and we can learn a lot from them, through observation of how they work together in order for the pack to thrive, but I wasn't expecting to find them in a military book, so that was a lovely surprise.
I also enjoyed the section on the power of failure and how it is a lesson which can teach us how to thrive. It's impossible to succeed first time, every time. Sometimes you will have set backs but how you handle those set backs will help to determine you character.
There are lots of character building snippets in this little book, plus anecdotes of the author's time at Sandhurst and beyond in the field of war. Leadership and responsibility go hand in hand, at least they are supposed to. Sometimes in the civilian world, bosses can mistake dictatorship for leadership, so if you have a boss like that, let them read this book! It will soon set them on the right path, encouraging them to lead from the front - which is the only way to lead really. Anything else is just a pretense at leadership.
I liked the anecdotes as they helped to put the lessons into perspective, illustrating how this training is used in warfare, and also how such wisdom can be transferred into everyday life too. They also lend a touch of adventure to the book, which is very enthralling. In addition the author asks the reader to reflect on how they navigate their own life and whether they act from a place of courage and compassion or not. I really liked this side of the book, because it can be too easy to simply walk past someone who is clearly distressed or in trouble in some way.
I know from personal experience that stopping to help those in need is incredibly rewarding. You simply cannot help someone and not feel some benefit yourself, because it puts a spring in your step and makes you feel like your day was not wasted - you made someone else's day/life a little bit easier, by stepping up and intervening. Yes it takes a certain amount of courage to offer assistance in a tricky situation, but I would always rather help than not. When was the last time your helped a stranger in need, even if it was only seeing a child or an elderly person across a busy street? These small acts of service help to make the world a better place.
I am the kind of woman who stops traffic so I can see a cat safely across the road, because I've seen too many mashed up cats, while working at the vet hospital, to let a feline take the risk alone!
Stand Up Straight is only a small book, but it is jammed packed with information that can help you to become a stronger, better version of yourself. It will teach you to have courage, to keep going when things get tough and to step up and intervene when necessary. You can read it in one sitting over a cup of tea and a biscuit, or digest a chapter each morning to set you up for the day and ensure you start off with the right attitude - this is important for those of us who are not morning people! Personally, I was very glad I don't have to be ready for inspection at 5.55am - I'll leave that to the wannabe Ruperts!
I like my beauty sleep. And after staying up half the night reading, a lie-in is required!
Enjoy!
BB Marie x
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