Category Archives: Leadership

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Athena Thriving II

A Unit Guide to Leading Pregnant and Postpartum Soldiers

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The United States Army has come a long way since the days of the Women’s Army Corps, an era when regulations mandated involuntary separation for pregnant women, while reporting them as having a “sickness; not in the line of duty.” While progress has been encouraging since World War II, we can continue to do better. Frustrating incidents of ignorance, stigmatization, discrimination, and substandard leadership and care of pregnant and postpartum soldiers still occur. These incidents occur despite the success and grit of numerous Army women who have sacrificed for our nation and excelled in their duties while carrying and raising children. 

Photo courtesy of Julie Edler Photography
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“Where’s Your Tab” and other Sad Lieutenant Stories

A Scrutinizing Look at Tab Culture

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Four months into being a platoon leader, I earned my Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB). I became, in the eyes of many, a “complete” infantry lieutenant. I was Airborne-, Air Assault-, and Ranger-qualified…and an expert. Never mind that the next day I returned to the same job that my “not-as-complete” peers were probably doing better. 

Students in Ranger Class 5-21 conduct graded patrols during Darby Phase of Ranger School. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Jaerett Engeseth)
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Breaking Implicit Racial Bias

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Events of the past year cast a new spotlight on the racial injustice that plagues our country. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd’s horrific death brought new momentum to the Black Lives Matter movement. George Floyd inspired millions nationwide to take a stand against racial injustice, to include inside the military. It spurred many to reflect about our Black teammates and how we have failed them. Racial inequity infects our military just as it does society at large. We have a duty to fix it. We need systemic change, and we can’t wait any longer. Social psychology offers promising strategies we can use to break implicit bias and begin moving towards racial equity within our ranks.

CAMP HUMPHREYS, Republic of Korea – Pfc. Emmy Jeudy, center, is a religious affairs specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, United States Army Garrison Humphreys. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Matthew Marcellus)
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Handling Disinformation in your Formation

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The prevalence and pervasiveness of disinformation, and its effect on the force is a polarizing topic. Call it what you would like: fake news, propaganda, information warfare etc. The fact remains that disinformation has seeped into not only civil society, but within our formations. Right now, in your unit area, there are soldiers and leaders with their necks craned-downward – either sitting down or leaning against a wall – staring at his/her smartphone and scrolling through social media pages. Embedded amongst the benign posts by friends, fitness pages and news outlets, is malign disinformation.  Some disinformation is specifically designed to target service members, or public perceptions of the military. Disinformation is often skillfully designed to look legitimate and is difficult to counter. Disinformation poses a threat to unit cohesion may create mindset that runs counter to the Army Ethic. Legitimate beliefs become morphed into polarizing, divisive actions.

Social media is an operational environment and our soldiers are there often…are you training and preparing them for the enemy they will face? (U.S. Army photo by Robert Timmons, Fort Jackson Public Affairs Office)
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Redefine SHARP – Redefine Culture

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What would you do to change SHARP? The question, and its answer, may seem daunting. But instead, ask: what would you do to prevent sexual harassment? What would you do to prevent sexual assault? After the release of the Report of the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee, we are able to see that the Army’s SHARP program is structurally flawed. So, let’s start there. What would we do to change SHARP? We’d start with culture. 

It’s time to send up a flare and illuminate how we can move the ball forward against this corrosive. (U.S. Army Reserve Photo by Sgt. Joseph Cathey)
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The Fresh Failure of Platoon Leadership

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Now, this is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down…by joining a combat support Military Police platoon as a new officer with the correct mindset, drive, and determination and then slowly snowballing into failure. I held no punches in my self-assessment, and tossed self-preservation out of the window. The following three lessons stem from my critical failures. 

A GREYWOLF Trooper, 3rd ABCT, 1st CAV DIV prepares his M1A2 SEPV3 for a gunnery live fire exercise, Fort Hood, Tx. (US Army Photo by Sgt. Caleb Franklin)
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Life after a Callsign

Preparing Mentally to Give Up Command

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Congratulations, we have selected you to command! For many of us, this is one of the most rewarding phrases in our careers. A milestone that we have been preparing for. In fact a milestone that our entire profession does a remarkable job preparing us for. The tools and resources to become a great commander are endless. Where I believe that we often fall short, is preparing leaders for what life is like mentally after you transition out of command. The impact of going from 100 miles per hour to 0 has on our mental health as leaders is something we often don’t talk about. However, it is something all commanders experience to some degree. Making mental health post command a priority will aid in providing a seamless transition towards your next role.

Mental Strength enables resilience for our toughest challenges (US Army)
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Echoes in Time

The Impact of Personal Influence on Subordinates

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Influence is not a simple idea. Its impact on people is complex. I’ve often thought my influence was the outcome of my actions; however, I’ve recently learned that the power of personal influence equates to much more. Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” The lasting impact of influence is a feeling that echoes in time. It doesn’t propagate through the air like sound. Influence lives in a person’s memory and resonates as emotion. Personal influences seems to have the greatest impact on subordinates. At first glance, this type of influence isn’t flashy. In fact, it feels commonplace. Yet, our personal influence is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal. 

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Recognize the Box to Think Outside of It

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The US Army is the most lethal military force in history. The world views our tactics and techniques as precise and lethal. We execute these battle drills without hesitation because of countless hours of repetition, perfecting these techniques. Unfortunately, NCOs have been known to teach shortcuts and standing operating procedures (SOP) that were once taught to us early on in our careers.  Although SOPs are stemmed from doctrine, over time they begin to manifest into “tribal knowledge” and skills are passed along from generation to generation by word of mouth. Throughout our army career, we hear the saying, “this is how we did it at my last unit.” The downfall of continuing this mantra is that we can pass along bad habits or outdated information. We need to know our playbooks (Army manuals) if we are to implement any kind of “audible” on the field.

USASC cadre evaluating the M2010 record fire qualification for doctrinal updates.
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5 Ways to Succeed as a New Staff Officer

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Every year the Army produces hundreds of young infantry lieutenants ready to fight and win our Nation’s wars. After leaving Fort Benning upon completing Infantry Basic Officer Leader’s Course, and most likely Ranger and Airborne School, they leave with one goal in mind: to lead an infantry platoon. However, most lieutenants will find themselves serving on battalion staff for around 6 months prior to taking over a platoon with an infantry company. 

(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jarrett Engeseth)