Today is the day. Today I will put the phone on mute, sit down with a book, and dedicate my time to developing my personal attributes. Then I will take some time to reflect on my actions and formulate ways to improve and become more in-tuned to my growth. Today is the day that I put all of my responsibilities as a leader, father, husband, and friend aside and truly focus on my self-development. The time has come that I set aside this significant amount of time every single day to invest in a better me.
Also me: Yeah, good luck with that, buddy.
The Three Domains of Development
Army doctrine establishes three primary domains of development for its people: institutional, organizational, and self. Institutional development is the responsibility of entities such as Basic Combat Training, Advanced Individual Training, and other officer and enlisted Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) units. This level of training provides the foundation of the Soldier’s knowledge, skills, and attributes throughout their military career. Organizational development is the responsibility of individual units. This is where the Mission Essential Task Lists (METLs), Combined Arms Training Strategies (CATs), and in tasks (T&EOs) drive the development of the Soldier’s individual and collective skills.
These two domains are the responsibility of the Army and its leaders. Self-development is the third and often forgotten domain, as it requires some heavy lifting from the individual Soldier. The military will provide its members with ample opportunities to earn a degree, certification, or qualification, however it will not force a Soldier to develop as a person. It is in our doctrine, and it is clear that much of this domain is on the individual Soldier. So, it is not a matter of if, but when will you do your duty and invest in yourself?
The First Sacrifice
Self-development is the first thing we sacrifice when our schedules are full or we are exhausted from the daily grind. As young military leaders, we cannot allow this crucial growth factor to slip into oblivion. For instance, while we may feel we are being selfless by focusing all of our time and effort on our families and our fellow service members, we are actually robbing them of a better version of ourselves. Developing our personal, professional, emotional, and spiritual selves will allow us to be better brothers or sisters, husbands or wives, and leaders to our most precious commodity: our people. Therefore, if we refuse to make the time to develop ourselves, we will not provide the support that those in our lives truly deserve.
Time is of the essence in this line of work. With each promotion and life milestone this concept becomes more and more relevant. Self-development is vital to personal growth. Personal growth is vital to our contribution to the lives of those around us. Therefore, if we want to be the leader, friend, and family member that we envision, we need to make the time for personal growth. This article will point to some very efficient and effective ways to continue your self-development journey, while balancing your personal and professional responsibilities.
Podcasts
There are few things more efficient than a well-structured podcast. These audio gems are full of advice and insight, and cost you absolutely nothing except your time. Podcasts offer a constructive way to spend a daily commute or workout session at the gym. Most leadership or military-focused podcasts will offer interviews with some of the most influential people in their field, providing direct insight into their thought processes, habits, and keys to success. In addition, well-built podcasts can provide military leaders with relevant, informative, and insightful techniques to improve overall leadership performance. Below are just some of the best podcasts I have run into, especially for military leaders.
- From the Green Notebook
- Modern War Institute (MWI) at West Point
- Coaching for Leaders with Dave Stachowiak
- Breaking Doctrine
- The Convergence: An Army Mad Scientist Podcast
- War on the Rocks
- Warcast
- Urban Warfare Project by MWI
- The Spear by MWI
Audio Books
To paraphrase General (Retired) Jim Mattis, if you are not reading hundreds of books as a leader, you are functionally illiterate because you are relying on your experience alone in your current role. No one person has enough experience to reach their potential as a leader. Reading is an absolute must for military leaders. It prepares us for multiple scenarios we have not faced, and ensures that we are prepared to put our people in the best situation to accomplish the mission and make it home to see their families.
With that being said, reading is time consuming. While “reading” hundreds of books, as GEN(R) Mattis puts it, is not realistic for most of us, there is no shame in “listening” to these books instead. Therefore, if you find yourself struggling to find the time to pick up a book, audio books are essential. Below is a list of audio books that are widely available and relatively short, helping you to get the most out of your time.
- Call Sign Chaos: Learning to Lead by GEN(R) Jim Mattis
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by James Collins
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
- Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to take Action by Simon Sinek
- Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement in a Complex World by GEN(R) Stanley McChrystal
Blog Sites
The internet is full of very useful blog sites, much like the one you are on right now. These sites are full of short articles discussing personal experience, tied to personal and professional insight. The vast majority of these articles are five to ten minute reads that get straight to the point. This allows you to spend less time hunting for those nuggets, and more time applying them to your daily life. Below are some of the most impactful blog sites that I have encountered.
- The Center for Junior Officers
- From the Green Notebook
- The Company Leader
- The Military Leader
- War on the Rocks
These three resources are just some of the time conscious mediums for self-development. However, there are no replacements for counseling, feedback, and professional education, but these particular resources offer excellent alternatives when time is not abundant. We all have those positions in our military career or personal hardships that lend little time for self-development. As military leaders, we must adapt and overcome, finding new and creative ways and times to continue to improve our personal and professional skill set. It is our duty to the people that have placed their faith in our abilities, and, therefore, our duty to always be the best version of ourselves.
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