2. Previously, I thought I understood what characteristics were important for a leader to have. I assumed that technical skill and the ability to communicate effectively with your subordinates was enough to ensure success. Yet reading this book about real world combat situations showed me how dynamic and fluid circumstances can be in which decisions need to be made under the most stressful of possible conditions.
3. I felt that leadership could essentially be taught didactically, yet some skills, such as courage under fire, equanimity during stressful moments or altercations, level-headedness, and a willingness to pursue a mission or assignment above one's own desires to the very end, are far more difficult to acquire. MacDonald had all these qualities and more.
