An extraordinary read for any leader. Truly brilliant General Stanley McChrystal, author of Team of Teams This article will briefly explore this Aristotle quote, why it should be a guiding principle to building your best life, and seven lessons you can learn about installing excellence as a habit. You may be able to make it look like you have things under control, but you will not achieve excellence until you take action. You have to do things that are in conjunction with your goals, and act alongside your consistent motivation to be excellent. A personal favourite for me, as a history buff, is the opening chapter which talks through the history of Army leadership. It was particularly interesting reading officers initially didn’t like the idea of a Staff Academy as they believed all the training one officer would need can be learned through the Regiment!

Lieutenant Colonel Langley Sharp's elaboration of the British Army's approach to leadership is comprehensive and clearly written, and provides valuable lessons for soldiers and civilians alike. As organisations grapple with the enormous changes underway - whether due to rapid technological advances or the changes in working practices brought about by the pandemic - understanding the basics of leadership will be essential if leaders and their organisations are to survive and thrive in our fast-paced environment

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Offers proven tools and strategies ... This excellent book challenges popular assumptions about British Army leadership, revealing what makes it the gold standard -- Matthew Syed, author of Rebel Ideas

But personal development has been around for thousands of years. When a simple statement such as this one remains alive for centuries, it is a good idea to stop and recognize its truth. Take a minute to really understand the power and truth behind these words.

A habit isn’t something that you do consciously. It’s an automatic response to some kind of emotional trigger. We are what we repeatedly do.

The pursuit of excellence will not be an easy path. In fact, it will be extremely difficult. It’s difficult because you have to make sacrifices to let go of lazy habits that are feeding your comfort zone. Within the realms of this comfort zone you feel in control and secure. However, life only rewards those willing to step out of their comfort zone; those who take the actions that the masses are not willing to take; those who make an effort to separate themselves from the crowd and do more than anyone else would ever expect. That is what it means to live in the pursuit of excellence. The Habit of Excellence is a unique insight into British Army leadership, explaining what makes it unique, what makes it so effective, and what civilians can take from it to become better leaders themselves.The British Army stands or falls on the quality of its leadership. The stakes couldn't be higher. In The Habit of Excellence, Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Langley Sharp MBE - Former Head of the Centre for Army Leadership, part of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst - distils over three centuries of the Army's experience in the art, science and practice of leadership. In reality, it's wonderful to realise that we are just human beings at the end of the day, with flaws as well.