Get Back Up: Lessons in Servant Leadership is a collection of stories illustrating leadership principles from two trailblazing United States Air Force Academy graduates who became Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Air Force — General (Ret.) Dave Goldfein and Dr. Heather Wilson. While the book is most relevant for young military officers, its lessons in leadership are universal.

The book begins with Where It Started, where Heather and Dave recount their paths to the Academy, in the same class of cadets. Heather’s decision to apply was shaped by the influence of her grandfather, a pioneering aviator. Dave’s decision was shaped by his father, a career fighter pilot and Vietnam veteran, following an initial academy rejection that almost resulted in a completely different path.

From there, the book unfolds through 14 chapters that cover leadership lessons learned through life experience. Dave tells the story of being shot down and rescued over Serbia, and Heather served in the Congress during 9/11. Some of the most compelling stories were of their service together in the Pentagon under Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.