Carnivore Leadership: Taking Charge Instead of Taking Shit

If you want to lead in today's world, you have to be a meat-eater.

Take it from someone who knows from having been on the front lines.

Ramón "CZ" Colón-López rose from special ops to become the highest-ranking enlisted military member in the US military. Along the way, he championed "carnivore leadership," which perfectly encapsulates CZ's philosophy: emphasizing the need for leaders to be decisively action-oriented rather than waiting for events to unfold--taking initiative, as opposed to the reactive stance of herbivores. CZ found this metaphor resonated profoundly with the troops. They appreciated candid discussion about their roles, the conduct expected of them, and the servant leadership he displayed. He discovered that leaders are neither born nor made; they are forged under the pressure of adversity and experience.

He developed a list of twenty Silver Bullets that became an antidote to canned speeches about how to motivate and get results. A bullet hits a target and makes an impact, and the Silver Bullets in Carnivore Leadership will do so too. Collected here, CZ's Silver Bullets are lessons shared so they will resonate in the boardroom as well as on the battlefield. They will help you connect with your courageous self, inspire confidence, and evoke thoughts that spark action for your team.

Widely praised for his integrity, humility, and warrior spirit, CZ rose from humble origins to see the missions achieved when teams under stress thrive through hard training, accountability, and focus--carnivores in a world of grass-eaters.

If you're ready to leave your comfort zone, CZ will provide you a guide to guts, grit, and greatness--once you stop waiting for things to happen.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ramón "CZ" Colón-López spent thirty-three years in the US military as a Joint Special Operations (JSOC) Pararescueman and culminated his career as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman (SEAC) of the Joint Chiefs, the highest-ranking enlisted military position in the entire US military and responsible for 2.4 million troops and a multibillion-dollar budget.

From his time in JSOC to the Pentagon performing the world's toughest missions, he journaled his leadership journey in thirteen Moleskine notebooks, part of which is shared in this book. Colón-López has advised high US and foreign military leaders, civic leaders, and two presidents of the United States.

He currently lives in North Carolina with his wife, Janet, and his rescue Saluki dogs.