In 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 […] The post Seasons of Development appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more

As 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 […] The post The 16 Laws of Communication appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more

As 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, […] The post How to Build a Community of Leaders appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more

No 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 […] The post Service and Sacrifice appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more

Recently, 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 […] The post People and Competence appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more

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 […] The post Why I Removed My Confederate Flag appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more

When 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. Connecting Planning to Purpose This happens throughout the operations process and troop leading procedures. […] The post At the end of the map marker… appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more

“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 […] The post Time to Change Perspective appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more

Seasons. Change. Transition. Growth. The notion of seasons has come to me from multiple sources recently. One obvious change has been my professional transition…closing the season of battalion command and embarking on a new duty with a new scope of responsibilities. (This season even ended with a ceremony…most don’t!) The people, the conversations, battle rhythms, […] The post Seasons in Leadership appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more

Change Management is a role we often place on leaders. We know that too much change impacts performance and saps motivation, so “managing transitions” and “mitigating turbulence” are common phrases relating to this managing change. More often, however, what the organization actually needs is Stability Management. Leaders must make the work environment predictable and routine, with clear […] The post Creating Stability in Your Organization appeared first on The Military Leader ..read more