First Man In: Leading from the Front

First Man In: Leading from the Front
Ant Middleton

NUMBER 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERNo one is born a leader. But through sheer determination and by confronting life’s challenges, Ant Middleton has come to know the meaning of true leadership. In First Man In, he shares the core lessons he’s learned over the course of his fascinating, exhilarating life.Special forces training is no walk in the park. The rules are strict and they make sure you learn the hard way, pushing you beyond the limits of what is physically possible. There is no mercy. Even when you are bleeding and broken, to admit defeat is failure.To survive the gruelling selection process to become a member of the elite you need toughness, aggression, meticulous attention to detail and unrelenting self-discipline, all traits that make for the best leaders.After 13 years service in the military, with 4 years as a Special Boat Service (SBS) sniper, Ant Middleton is the epitome of what it takes to excel. He served in the SBS, the naval wing of the special forces, the Royal Marines and 9 Parachute Squadron Royal, achieving what is known as the ‘Holy Trinity’ of the UK’s Elite Forces. As a point man in the SBS, Ant was always the first man through the door, the first man into the dark, and the first man in harm’s way.In this fascinating, exhilarating and revealing book, Ant speaks about the highs and gut-wrenching lows of his life – from the thrill of passing Special Forces Selection to dealing with the early death of his father and ending up in prison on leaving the military – and draws valuable lessons that we can all use in our daily lives.

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COPYRIGHT (#ud798aca1-5253-5685-8a15-a8a4b9a54248)

HarperCollinsPublishers

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018

FIRST EDITION

© Anthony Middleton 2018

Cover design by Claire Ward © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018

Cover photographs © Andrew Brown (author), Shutterstock.com (background)

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

Anthony Middleton asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780008245719

Ebook Edition © May 2018 ISBN: 9780008245740

Version: 2018-07-09

DEDICATION (#ud798aca1-5253-5685-8a15-a8a4b9a54248)

For Emilie

To the only person who can make me or break me with one sentence. This woman pushes me on a daily basis and will not accept anything less than one hundred per cent from me at all times. When I lose my way, she redirects me. When I put a foot out of place, she stamps on it. And when I fail, she is the only person who can lift me back up and make me feel invincible. My wife is the reason I am here today and she is the lady that has made me the man I am.

CONTENTS

COVER (#uc7f100b2-b64f-5387-b9d7-2dd2ae83d4be)

TITLE PAGE (#ue7e307bf-ca34-5660-8370-518f8c9ce454)

COPYRIGHT (#ua226e9c7-19ce-5fa9-93b2-a1c0e19dc93f)

DEDICATION (#u17cf0914-83ea-59e3-9c43-b347e21410ba)

INTRODUCTION (#ufa341594-72ea-5f00-bc6d-6c32c1391c4a)

PREFACE (#uda5e2e1f-2b53-58cd-a430-3f9d263b8f5f)

LESSON 1

DON’T LET ANYONE DEFINE WHO YOU ARE (#u9f8ba8a7-72b5-5861-bd63-778daae1dbc8)

LESSON 2

MAKE YOUR ENEMY YOUR ENERGY (#u8c7b25cc-5a73-52e8-b8a3-a150ccc8b4b6)

LESSON 3

LEADERS STAND APART FROM CROWDS (#litres_trial_promo)

LESSON 4

MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR DEMONS (#litres_trial_promo)

LESSON 5

YOU DON’T NEED TO BE THE LEADER TO LEAD (#litres_trial_promo)

LESSON 6

FAILURE ISN’T MAKING THE MISTAKE, IT’S ALLOWING THE MISTAKE TO WIN (#litres_trial_promo)

LESSON 7

THE WAR IS ALWAYS IN YOUR HEAD (#litres_trial_promo)

LESSON 8

THE POWER OF INTELLIGENT WAITING (#litres_trial_promo)

LESSON 9

HOW TO AVOID A MUTINY (#litres_trial_promo)

LESSON 10