https://www.dau.edu
Review: DAU provides senior acquisition business leadership development as the core curriculum at the Defense Systems Management College. Achieving certification in your career path is necessary but not sufficient for developing well-rounded senior acquisition leaders. Business acumen, a current DoD acquisition emphasis, has been the focus of recent DAU Results Accelerators and provides a necessary “business” skillset for success. It gets back to business leadership basics as demonstrated in The Touchstones of Leadership by Joseph Carleone, who started his career as a defense contractor progressing to executive levels. It is a guide for leaders at any level of an organization looking for a concise, values-centered leadership model to face dynamic contemporary business challenges. For those in the acquisition workforce community in both government and industry leadership roles, this book presents a highly relevant and proven set of guidance for improving business acumen and enhancing business success. The author draws upon the management fundamentals of Collins, Covey, Drucker, Goleman, Porter, and others and his over 40 years of experience in defense and commercial business leadership to produce a four-part leadership model for ensuring business success. This model is organized around foundational elements of managing oneself, interpersonal skills, managerial skills, and the dual tenets of strategy and alignment. Carleone supplements the model with 45 insightful and practical “touchstone” guidelines as thought-provoking and action-oriented leadership principles. These principles bring together practical business acumen and emotional intelligence, which provide insights and lessons learned on building trust, engendering respect, stimulating growth, and making value-driven trade-offs and decisions. The model and principles are a complement to program and organizational leadership courses taught at DAU, especially for those seeking to improve their business acumen. This book is a strategic compass for building business acumen and getting results. The touchstones are short, 2- to 3-page summaries of principles to guide leaders of organizations, from operational management to strategic alignment. Carleone relates insights on fostering growth and making value-driven decisions that are critical for any leader seeking to develop a strong organizational foundation. The book includes Carleone’s real-world examples of successful business turnarounds and
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Defense ARJ, Summer 2025, Vol. 32 No. 2
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