Gus Lee - The Courage Playbook

—Mary M. Zhu, MD, PhD, MPH, MA

“ The Courage Playbook finds me in a place in life where continuation of old comfortable habits and behaviors is untenable and counterproductive both professionally and personally. Fear, avoidance, and laziness of thought and execution have been my life's Achilles' heel. The Courage Playbook shines a bright and painful light on the effects of these mental and behavioral choices, calling them out but at the same time offering carefully drawn self‐directed offers for change with clear instruction on how to use them and move forward toward self‐mastery. The work is often painful, but in the words of someone who knows there is some pain, the gain is significantly more. By its design, it requires one to go through the fire to separate from old painful mind habits and move toward more life‐affirming and supportive choices. Of all the projects, classes, 12‐step programs and therapy sessions, The Courage Playbook is the most complete and compressive framework moving me towards a better version of myself. With gratitude and deep respect, I give my thanks to Gus Lee for having provided me the tools and skills to move forward on my pathway to a healthier life.”

—Dr. Toussaint StreatPhysician

“In The Courage Playbook , Gus Lee takes all the tools and behavior‐based guides he patiently taught me and puts them into an easy‐to‐understand, follow‐the‐steps practice guide. These tools have helped me overcome my fear and avoidance of conflict and set me on the path to becoming a courageous leader. As a husband, father, friend, and entrepreneur, improving my courage and character first and then those of others has transformed and deepened all my relationships. I encourage you to start on this journey today toward a more meaningful life.”

—Chris KayCOO, Water Harvesting, Inc.

“There are many good fire departments across the country, albeit only a few really great ones. After 46 years in the fire service, I believe this may be from the fire service's focus on discipline and the traditional nature of the job. The truly great fire agencies are made up of firefighters and officers that embrace Gus Lee's concept of self‐governance, which requires a personal commitment to transformational change. For these individuals, continual growth becomes a passion that they embrace to the core of their being, requiring physical, mental, and most importantly, moral courage. Lee, in The Courage Playbook , provides a path for those willing to change. Is it a quick and easy fix? No, it is exceptionally hard. But for those who desire to embrace the challenge of truly creating a better life for yourself and those around you, apply these ancient principles. Life will never be the same.”

—Ron LindrothFire Chief

“Gus's first Courage book placed me on a ‘high core values improvement plan.' While Gus does not know my cowardly foibles from firsthand observation, his Playbook calls me out as if he had been watching at my most fear‐controlled moments for the last decade. His new book inspires with real‐life examples and self‐assessments that gnaw to the root of my fear while providing the tools to build back courage. The CLEAR model particularly exposed my lingering bad habits and provided a map for improvement. Now back to work I go.”

—Jack ColwellCo‐Director, Public Safety Practice, The Arbinger Institute

“Gus Lee's Playbook is about courage, character and leadership. It's a practical set of revealing assessments and carefully crafted techniques designed to improve anyone's ability to make tough choices to do the right thing—every time—regardless of personal risk. That starts with a disciplined approach requiring unconditional respect for one another and consistently listening with humility and empathy. The courage to do so builds character and enables leadership. Not for the faint of heart, but well worth the effort.”

—COL (Ret.) Larry WhiteInfantry: Vietnam, 1971–72; Korea, 1982–83; West Berlin, 1983–86; Kabul, 2009–10

“A delightful guide full of important information for those of us who want to understand fear and recognise how it works in our lives and discover characters we can look up to, to position us for freedom. While answering the questions in The Courage Playbook 's Assessments, I recognized how fear worked in my life, how it impacted my behaviors, and with the tools provided in the book, they are giving me courage to change. With small progress each day, it will develop into a habit.”

—Beata NegumboProgramme Assistant, FAO Representation in Namibia

“Throughout my life and career, I could choose inaction by relying on the phrase, ‘Discretion is the better part of valor.' In The Courage Playbook , Gus Lee's deep dig into courage, he delivers a gut punch; the words come from the lips of a cowardly braggart in Shakespeare's Henry IV . Lee observes that the discretion wording ‘gives modern cowards an excuse to avoid conflict.' What a life lesson. This book is for those of us who desire to shun avoidance and change our mindset. Eminently readable and research‐based, it is in a class all its own: literary nonfiction. It gives us practical tools for reversing our fearful mentality and for implementing the changes necessary to be courageous in both ordinary and extraordinary conflicts we all face. I wish I had read it sooner.”

—Robin Shakelyformer Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney, 39‐year career prosecutor, mother, wife, and reforming coward

“ The Courage Playbook puts courage into action. As a law enforcement leader, my life and legacy were transformed after reading Gus's earlier Courage book. I am excited to see so many ideas about living courageously laid out in such a helpful way in this new book. It is what I desperately need to figure out how courage looks and works in my family and professional life. Courage helps me lead my family, and myself, in our darkest and most challenging days and has shaped me into a leader who first looks in the mirror, as I strive to lead and serve others in my organization and my life. Courage has become the virtue that I take with me into every interaction. I'm so thankful that Gus Lee has put such a practical guidebook together for living a courageous life. It has helped me make sense of so much that I learned through trial and experience. If you're picking up The Courage Playbook , your time and investment into the process of living out courage will be worth every sacrifice. Be willing to cross the River of Fear—the journey on the other side is a life that is not perfect—but well worth living.”

—Roy BethgeChief of Police, Cherry Valley Police Department, Illinois

“Under pressure and unsure in tough situations, you can refer to The Courage Playbook to get your bearings, survive and succeed. Gus Lee's Five Steps have improved how I treat and educate others and beats the heck out of painful and grueling effort that ends in foreseeable failure. Gus effortlessly convinced me of two primal things, refined in this book: first, respect for everyone, all the time, is the key; second, you need courage to exercise that respect. The Courage Playbook is the civilian Ranger Handbook of doing the right thing. It will bring you home.”

—Dr. James P. SullivanSullivan Engineering; Professor, Purdue University, Army aviator

“Moments in life that call for moral courage are not rare; they pop up every single day of our lives with friends, family, coworkers, and strangers. Oftentimes we miss these moments as we justify our behavior with ‘I'm too busy,' ‘It's too hard,' and ‘It won't change anything.' Gus Lee's The Courage Playbook cuts through our fears and offers us a practical set of tools to recognize these moments and courageously do the right thing with unwavering respect for others. This book will change how you see the world and transform your relationships for the better. I use The Courage Playbook 's quick references every day to help me become the man I want to be at work and at home.”