Category Archives: Leadership

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Artillery – A Precision Art Form

#BranchSeries - Artillery

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In the summer of 2008, I was waiting on the bleachers at LDAC (now Advanced Camp) in Fort Lewis, Washington for an event called “U.S. Weapons Day”. At that point, I still wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do in the Army. I had some ideas, but no clear first choice. The announcer began describing the systems in front of us, and then an M198 Howitzer fired a 98 lbs projectile, 2 km downrange with a thunderous detonation that reached all the way back to the bleachers. It was absolutely a marketing ploy on the Army’s part, and it absolutely worked on me.

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The Best Job I Ever Had

#BranchSeries - Armor

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I knew from the moment that I joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) that I wanted to branch Armor. I can vividly remember the branch counseling session with my Professor of Military Science (PMS). He counseled the assessing cadets on filling out the branch and duty station preference sheets. He asked me for my first choice and I told him Armor, without hesitation. I was competitive across the branches and my PMS encouraged me to consider all options, including Aviation. He was trying to ensure I thought through all my options, but I was undeterred. In my mind, as a young and brash 22-year-old Cadet, my mentality was set. There was no other choice but Armor Branch.

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Ordering Salad at Ruth’s Chris

#BranchSeries - Infantry

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Sitting in my barracks room as a Senior at Norwich University, I stared at my preference sheet numbered 1 to 16. The United States Army ultimately decides Branch assignments for ROTC commissionees, but we get to submit a preference list. All branches are critical to the mission and we truly are ONE team that couldn’t do it without the whole. I contemplated the order of choices between numbers 2 and 16. But, selecting #1 on my list was a simple choice. To me, joining the Army and not choosing Infantry Branch was like going to a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and ordering just a salad.

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Introducing #BranchSeries

A Partnered Series with Colonel Eric Lopez

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In the Fall of 2017, a former Battalion Commander and current mentor of mine connected me with Colonel Eric Lopez. Col. Lopez, a War College Student and a future Brigade Commander, launched a leadership initiative through YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Titled Lopez on Leadership, his movement connects leaders of all ranks to the type of mentorship and coaching available through senior leaders in the Army. Thanks to our mutual friend, our connection led us to take on this project we are calling #BranchSeries.

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Humility and Shared Understanding

A Division Commander's Take on Leadership

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Leaders, at every echelon and in every organization, are in the business of creating and communicating shared understanding. I was recently afforded the opportunity to sit down with Maj. Gen. Bill Burleson, the Division Commander of 7th Infantry Division, for a dialogue on leadership and its scope and scalability to the tactical level of war. By the very nature of it being a closely held personal virtue of his, he would not openly describe himself this way – but I will. Maj. Gen. Burleson is perhaps one of the most humble leaders I have met in my career. It was clear that humility and the philosophy of Mission Command are deeply rooted in his leadership style. Below are his thoughts on leadership, Mission Command (MC), and self-development.

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5 Principles of Disagreement

A Response to "The Growing Emptiness of Service"

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I disagree. And, that is ok. When did we stop making it ok to disagree? Moreover, when did disagreement mean completely contrasting opinions? These are questions we will get to, but first – with what am I disagreeing? I, in part, disagree with a Guest Post on the Angry Staff Officer’s Blog by David Dixon titled “Guest Post: The Growing Emptiness of Service”.

Atticus Finch talking to his daughter Jean Louise “Scout”. There is a lot we can learn from Atticus, both about respectful discourse as well as the fallibility of man.
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Rolling Uphill – Sustaining Change

Leading Change Series - Part IV

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Leading change is not a fast or easy process, but it is required to sharpen the organizational “saw” through synergy and renewal. It demands the power to stay the course, through setbacks and triumphs, and demonstrate the endurance to achieve results. Change starts with a single step, but that axiom can leave you discouraged when – after step one – you realize there are many more steps to take. You will face roadblocks in the form of people, internal systems, and outside forces. If step one is difficult to take, steps two and onward require even more perseverance and grit. The will to succeed makes the difference between those who initiate change and those who achieve it. Fighting complacency requires constant assessment and coaching.

Sustaining change is a team effort. Succession planning and a culture of learning is the only way to keep rolling uphill.
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Resolute Leadership

A Presidents’ Day Post

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The third Monday in that month we all hate to pronounce (is it Feb-roo-air-ee or Feb-yoo-air-ee?) is more than just another Federal Holiday when your mail won’t be delivered and the DMV won’t be open. Presidents‘ Day isn’t just a long weekend of consumerism. For over 200 years, leaders have filled the Office of the Presidency and, with it, wielded immense power and responsibility. History will judge what they did with their time in the Oval Office, but as President Washington said “Example, whether it be good or bad, has a powerful influence”. This Presidents‘ Day, let’s take a look at what past American Presidents had to say about Leadership.

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Learning Agility

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The U.S. Army is in transition after sixteen years of conflict. Previously, the nation leveraged its industrial base to support a decisive edge over the enemy. Material solutions are not enough to maintain the advantage in a future of strategic uncertainty and rapidly adapting peer and near-peer threats. Leadership – the “L” in the DOTMLPF-P construct – is perhaps the most critical asset to our nation. The U.S. Army will establish overmatch by investing into its most valued commodity, the leaders of its irreplaceable soldiers. Learning agility provides the necessary framework to support leader overmatch in the future of conflict.

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When Change is Values-Deep

Leading Change Series - Part III

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In every competitive environment, organizations evolve to survive and thrive. Society, Markets, and Warfare are ever-changing and so must those who want to succeed in them. Changing systems is a fight in and of itself. But, what if the change required is deeper than spreadsheets and efficiency reports? What if the organization’s values and behaviors aren’t aligned? I used the word “fight” intentionally. Make no mistake, when change is values-based, you are fighting for the heart and soul of your organization. To create a values-centered change, leaders steer the individual to driving the organization, communicate a clear and collective vision, model and steward the change, and empower their team.

Changing Values Requires Clear and Shared Vision