The Debrief - by Mike Campbell (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Practice Behind Every Elite Team

The difference between good teams and elite ones isn't talent or resources. It comes down to a structured habit of honest reflection that turns every mission, project, or game into fuel for the next one.

Mike Campbell spent twenty years as a Naval Officer, aircraft carrier assistant navigator, advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Blue Angel #8 coordinating a 134-member squadron. Across every assignment, he saw the same practice at the heart of elite performance. He calls it the debrief.

The Debrief: How Elite Teams Build Trust, Navigate Change, and Achieve Excellence teaches readers how to build a foundation of trust that enables peak performance, run a debrief that creates psychological safety, develop the ten characteristics shared by elite teams, navigate major life transitions with clarity, and lead a culture of continuous improvement at work and at home.

Each chapter ends with reflection questions to put the lessons to work right away. Whether you lead an organization, coach a team, or want to grow as an individual, this book gives you a method for becoming a little better tomorrow than you were today.

About the Author

MIKE CAMPBELL, Master of Science in Financial Services, is a retired Navy commander with twenty years of service. He flew combat missions in Iraq and Bosnia, served as assistant navigator of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower during Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, and was political and military advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As Blue Angel #8, he coordinated operations for the 134-member flight demonstration squadron. From 2016 to 2023, Campbell led the Blue Angels Foundation in support of wounded warriors transitioning to civilian life. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Chrystal.