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The Military Leader Menu Start Here About Permissions Policy Submit a Guest Post Resource Recommendations Videos Military & Defense Blogs Podcasts Unit Leader Development Products & Resources Archive of Posts Quote Page Podcast Follow me on Twitter Like me on Facebook Connect with me on LinkedIn Subscribe to my RSS Feed menu The Military Leader Develop Your Team Ramp Up Your Productivity Surviving Staff Life The Quote Page Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 Seasons of Development Share Tweet Share Print Email I n Seasons in Leadership , I wrote about the leader’s role in sensing the environment and guiding teams through change: Regardless of the situation, the best leaders know that by their role and responsibility positions them to intuit transition and see opportunity. These leaders intentionally develop vision to sense impending seasons. Then they fulfill their responsibility to define reality for the team and empathetically guide their followers through the change. In doing so, they model how to lead through change with foresight and intention. We often forget that the precursor to navigating change is the leader’s own development, the arc of personal growth that prepares them for the road ahead. Continue reading » | | Categories: Leadership , Personal Development Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2023 The 16 Laws of Communication Share Tweet Share Print Email A s a young leader, I was fortunate to discover two authors who set a lifelong foundation of influence for me as a leader: General Colin Powell and John C. Maxwell. I read My American Journey in high school, five years after General Powell led a 35-country coalition to victory in the Gulf War and mere months before my own leadership journey began as a cadet. Inspired by his real-world leadership lessons in and out of combat, I typed up four pages of quotes and carried them with me for years. I called My American Journey my leadership bible. John C. Maxwell, who I came across a few years later, perfectly complemented Powell’s influence in my life. In case you haven’t read his books yet, John Maxwell is the #1 bestselling leadership author of all time. His most popular work is The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership . He writes in stories and simple principles and his books perfectly weave together insight, inspiration, humor, and conviction. Simply put, John Maxwell is the Michael Jordan of leadership coaching. And his new book, The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication , dives into the most important skill a leader can have. Continue reading » | | Categories: Book Review , Leadership , Personal Development Posted on Saturday, November 26, 2022 How to Build a Community of Leaders Share Tweet Share Print Email A s you continue to lead, your influence impacts more and more people. You look for opportunities to invest in them. Over the years, you may even build a community among those you mentor. They reach out to you when they approach significant career decisions. Maybe you share resources and thoughts with them through text, email, and on social media. You invest in them, but one at a time and in separate channels. But…what if you had a way to bring them together? What if you had a way to build real community among those you lead? Today, I want to share a leader development resource and offer some ideas about how you can build community for those you lead, whether that group is a part of a military unit, a business, or a distant group of leaders you have inspired in the past. Airmen join in a group huddle at the conclusion of the Police Week Memorial 5K Ruck March at Yokota Air Base, Japan, May 15, 2017. The airmen are assigned to the 374th Security Forces Squadron. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Donald Hudson. Continue reading » | | Category: Personal Development Posted on Sunday, April 24, 2022 Service and Sacrifice Share Tweet Share Print Email N o matter the service branch, specialty, or duty location, one question is common to every servicemember: When should I leave the military?” This question pops up during deployments, following the release of promotion lists, and on nearly every date night. Pursuing an answer often devolves into a winding conversational journey of assessing the present, voicing struggles, affirming individual and family priorities, anticipating future career opportunities, and evaluating one’s potential to reach those opportunities. Sometimes a family crisis or significant event crystalizes the road ahead, but often the decision to continuing serving or leave remains an ill-formed collection of feelings, variables, and uncertainties. A Soldier assigned to the Connecticut National Guard’s 1-102nd Infantry Regiment prepares to hug his son after returning home from a nearly year long deployment at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Windsor Locks, Connecticut Jan. 22, 2022. The 1-102nd was deployed to the Horn of Africa in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. DoD photo . Continue reading » | | Categories: Managing Your Career , Personal Development Posted on Monday, May 10, 2021 People and Competence Share Tweet Share Print Email R ecently, I was honored to offer remarks at the commissioning ceremony for 20 cadets from the Temple University Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Red Diamond” Battalion. This was a truly inspiring event (and not only because it was held at Lincoln Field where the Philadelphia Eagles play). Rather, as the years of Army service add up, it’s easy to forget professional milestones and personal achievement moments like these. It was a joy to see these men and women complete their cadet journeys and begin their service as officers. I’ve posted my remarks below, which focus on two areas: People and Competence. I hope that many of you (not just new officers) will find these thoughts helpful. Continue reading » | | Category: Military Leadership Posted on Monday, October 5, 2020 Why I Removed My Confederate Flag Share Tweet Share Print Email I grew up in the South. A little bit in Tennessee and Florida, but mostly in Georgia. Though I spent that childhood in the neighborhoods of suburban Atlanta and not in the country farm fields, I still received the imprint of geographical culture: Southern politeness, Waffle House, sweet tea, country music, NASCAR and The Dukes of Hazard were all accepted – and expected – norms. As was pride in the Confederacy. The flag of the Confederacy on the ground during a protest against white nationalists in Washington, D.C. Photo credit . Continue reading » | | Categories: Leadership , Personal Development Posted on Monday, November 4, 2019 At the end of the map marker… Share Tweet Share Print Email W hen serving on staff and even while in command, process often dilutes purpose. As individuals and on teams, we routinely focus on what we’re supposed to do at the expense of appreciating the why or fully realizing the impact of our efforts. Continue reading » | | Categories: Leadership , Staff Life Posted on Monday, August 26, 2019 Time to Change Perspective Share Tweet Share Print Email I should have seen that coming…” If I hadn’t had been so focused on this, I could’ve anticipated that…” Where did THIS come from???” We’ve all uttered these words at one point or another, searching for an explanation as to how our circumstances managed to outpace our intellect, premonition capacity, focused research, and detailed planning effort. Army Staff Sgt. Ariel Hughes pulls a simulated wounded soldier through an obstacle during the Drill Sergeant of the Year Competition at Camp Bullis, Texas, Aug. 19, 2019. Twelve soldiers from around the U.S. took part in the four-day competition. Link to DoD photo. Continue reading » | | Categories: Leadership , Military Leadership Post navigation ⬅ Older posts Subscribe to The Military Leader! Total Subscribers 33,668 Search How to Write a Change of Command Speech 6 Ways to Enhance Your Close-Out Formation Leadership Speed and Why It Matters 9 Misguided Reasons to go to SOF Selection The...