The Company Leader is a community forum for curated leader development content focused on the tactical level of war. Our readership ranges from grunts to generals, and cadets to retired veterans. We love seeing your writing and helping you to communicate your ideas. We pride ourselves on being user-friendly, iterative, and responsive. Let us help you publish your writing and ideas! Below is a guide for submission.
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- Start HERE to understand the vision and purpose for this site – and then READ other posts on The Company Leader. You can find all of our articles in our Archive.
- A typical submission ranges from 800-1500 words. We consider longer posts, but might recommend changes to make it more concise. The key is an economy of words. See our Helpful Tips below.
- Cite all source material using hyperlinks. If it is a book, link the title to an Amazon page for the book or link the central theme you are referencing. If unable to hyperlink, cite using endnotes.
- Submit in a .doc or .docx Word File.
- Submit recommended photos as separate .jpeg, .tiff, or .png files. We only accept open source/labeled for reuse images. By submitting the photo, you acknowledge that it meets these guidelines.
- We do not accept posts or articles that are politically partisan in nature or disparage specific individuals, parties, organizations, etc. – “If you don’t have anything nice or constructive to say, don’t say anything at all.”
- When in doubt, refer to the DoD and U.S. Army Social Media Guidelines.
- Submit your products to thecompanyleader@gmail.com
Some Additional Tips for Writing
***You are on a journey to communicate an idea or message to the largest relevant audience possible. Don’t let a need to impress with long sentences, academic flourishes, and large vocabulary distract you from that goal. You are in a fight for eye-balls and relevance, and your enemies are named Time, Distractions, and Competing Priorities. ***
- Employ short sentences of 20 words of less.
- Construct short paragraphs of three-to-five sentences. A one-sentence paragraph works from time to time as a way to call attention. It is like bolding.
- Build short sections of two-to-three paragraphs.
- Break each section up with a subheading to help the reader transition between arguments or chains of thought.
- Always use active voice.
- Remember, the first paragraph is the lede – just like a newspaper article. You want to catch the reader’s attention, draw them in, and tell them enough to get the point while making them want to read more. Here are a couple helpful links for writing a lede/lead:
- NPR, “A good lead is everything – here’s how to write one.“
- MasterClass, “How to write a good lede in journalism“
- Include practical steps for leaders to succeed in your given area of discussion.
- Write what you know. This should come from experience and study.
- Pick a central theme or thesis, and stick to it. Avoid jumping around, or biting-off a topic too large to adequately address.
- Teach through stories. We don’t need more articles with empty maxims. Bring your lessons to life with engaging and relatable narratives.
The Company Leader is a curated publication source. You will usually work with one primary editor, but your work may be subjected to peer review prior to publication. This is especially true if the source material is outside the expertise of the Editorial Board. Editing is a personal process and we recognize this. We will remain respectful toward you and your writing, but will challenge you to obtain the best possible writing and output. Remain humble, patient, and flexible. Writing is an iterative process. Thank you for considering us in your writing journey.
