Quarantine. It disrupts our sanity and results in day drinking, homeschooling, Zoom meetings, and TikTok challenges. For me, a mandatory quarantine in the desert provided an opportunity for self-development. While COVID-19 became a global pandemic, I watched as novel obstacles confounded long-established systems. Yet despite the surprising fragility of our societal constructs, people and organizations adjusted to our “new normal.” By observing this resiliency, I solidified a core belief: the leader who adapts earns the opportunity to develop.
Category Archives: Ego v. Humility
Leading with Empathy
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This past February, I had the pleasure of attending the inaugural Battalion Commanders Assessment Program (BCAP). While preparing for interviews, I found a major component of BCAP to be reflection. Could I describe the best and worst leaders I’ve worked for? As I reflected on 17 years of bosses and why they were great or not so great, it clicked for me: the great ones led with empathy.
The Selfie-Leader Part I
Please Like, Share and Follow Me As I Lead
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“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves” – Lao Tzu
For those who read articles published by the Company Leader and other leadership initiative based sites in support of the Armed Forces, you understand that in order to dissect what a “Leader” is, it is important to first understand its definition. According to ADP 6-22, Army Leadership and the Profession, leadership is defined as “the activity of influencing people by providing purpose, direction, and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization” (Department of the Army, 2017). This should sound remarkably familiar, as it is one of the most common board questions asked during any evaluation or promotion board.
BCAP, AIM, and now the DA Photo?…Oh My!
Focusing on Constants in a Time of Change
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The Army zeitgeist in 2019, and into the foreseeable, future is change. The Chief of Staff of the Army is not shy about how his past assignments influence his current vision. He assembled an entire Army Talent Management Task Force under a 2-Star General–Maj. Gen. McGee–to lead the effort. In 2019, the force experienced a new, interactive marketplace to match officers and open assignments. Eager majors and lieutenant colonels participated in an NFL Combine-type event (BCAP) to determine who will command at the O-5 level. And units across the Army started gearing up, literally, for a new Army Combat Fitness Test. Some are even calling to get rid of the DA Photo! How are we to interpret these changes? Here are a few constants from my foxhole.
How the Moral Compass Stays on Azimuth
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You’re standing in the dense vegetation of a land navigation course, frustrated and looking for your next point. “It should be here,” you say to yourself. You know your pace count and azimuth were accurate. Time passes, doubt creeps in, and you realize you might be off course. There’s nothing left to do but get your bearings, course correct, and try again. We’ve all been there. Land navigation is an essential military skill. A slightly incorrect azimuth, just a degree or two off course, has minimal effects in the short-term. But a small discrepancy, over time or distance, can lead you significantly off course. This is similarly the case in navigating ethical decision-making. Leadership requires an accurate moral compass.
Nobody Puts LT In The Corner
The NCO Responsibility To Mentor
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The second lieutenant walked through the office door, I sat at the squad leader desk working on counseling’s and my platoon sergeant was napping behind his desk. The lieutenant greeted us and introduced himself as our new platoon leader, I welcomed him and turned back to my work. My platoon sergeant squinted at him and stood up, he grabbed a chair and put it in a corner. “This is where the kids sit until they learn their place.” He grunted and turned around to sit down at his desk. This first interaction set the tone for the new platoon leader and his interactions with all NCOs.
The Danger of “Should”
Guest Post by Capt. Benjamin Hockman
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In 218 B.C.E., Hannibal crossed the Alps and invaded the Italian peninsula. It should not have been possible to bring a large army, including cavalry and elephants, along that route during winter. When the two armies met at Cannae, Hannibal’s elephants were long dead, and he was outnumbered 5 to 3. The Roman leadership assumed their standard tactics would be sufficient. What should have been a straightforward victory became one of the most famous massacres in military history; Hannibal slaughtered virtually all of the 50,000 Romans.
Are You Really Speaking Truth?
Speaking Truth to Power and Knowing When Not To
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Four articles in as many weeks have batted around the topic of “speaking truth to power.” Task & Purpose recently took a swing at it. Doctrine Man provided two vantage points on the topic here and here. And our friends over at The Field Grade Leader published a guest piece here. But it just felt like something was missing. Speaking truth to power is as much about making sure you are speaking the truth as it is about speaking it to power. The art of speaking truth to power is equal parts credibility, maturity, perspective, and communication. Below are some tips garnered from the multiple leaders who have taken the time to teach and mentor me.
To Get Outside the Box, Start Inside the Circle
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My first official duty as an Officer in the U.S. Army was a temporary assignment to Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), working for Cadet Command as Cadre for the ROTC Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC). I worked for a Lieutenant Colonel who was serving as the Professor of Military Science at Purdue University. He taught me a lot that summer, but one story sticks out. It was a humble parable that continues to resonate with me a decade later.
All the King’s Horses
Ensuring Congruency of Message and Behaviors Across Your Team
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Your reputation is the convergence of your words, actions, character, competence, and the perception of others. As you progress up the leadership chain, your team will grow and the perception of you will no longer be a direct result of your interactions and behaviors alone. Your team will play an increased role in how people perceive you. The larger your organization, the more you have to delegate authority. With that delegation, you empower your team to represent you and your organization.