BOOK REVIEW – Carnivore Leadership by Ramón Colón – López (2026)
Book Review by: Michael S. Hildebrand, President, Yvorra Leadership Development Foundation
Chief Master Sergeant Ramón Colón – López served as a Pararescueman with the United States Air Force. The Air Force Pararescue (PJs) are elite special operations forces dedicated exclusively to perform Personnel Recovery, Combat Search and Rescue operations and emergency trauma medicine. They specialize in rescuing and treating injured personnel in hostile, remote, or austere environments across the globe, living the motto, “That Others May Live.”
During his 30 year career Chief “CZ” López rose to become the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the most senior enlisted service member, by position, in the United States Armed Forces.
Carnivore Leadership is based primarily on Chief López’s military experience performing in high-risk special operations missions. His book emphasizes proactive, mission-driven action—contrasting “carnivores” who take ownership and enforce standards against “herbivores” who make excuses.
The book is organized into 20 different sections called “Silver Bullets” that summarize Chief López’s battle-tested experiences to improve individual and team performance. Chief López emphasizes the need for communicating mission objectives in plain no-nonsense clarity. Firefighters function under high-stress and time constrained decision situations similar to the condition’s soldiers experience in combat. As a former U.S. Air Force firefighter, I enjoyed this book.
YLD Key Leadership Takeaway: Chief López emphasizes four main points based on his military leadership career in Special Operations. These are: 1) Taking ownership – do not wait for someone else to fix organizational problems; 2) You deserve what you tolerate – failing to hold personnel accountable diminishes your organization’s credibility; 3) Lead from the front – Maintain physical and mental readiness, and lead by example; 4) Filter for Excellence – Properly reward your top performers and ensure you are not fostering weak performers.
ISBN 13: 979-8-89138-655-6