Articles
Was Battalion Command Worth It?
By: Joe Byerly These days, I’m often asked two questions: First, was it worth staying in uniform for 20 years? And second, am I glad I chose battalion command, even when I could have taken an easier job to focus on retirement? In sharing my...
Strength in Solitude: My Journey From Latchkey Kid to Introverted Leader
By Albert D. Keever Jr. Leadership is often associated with bold, charismatic individuals who can electrify a room with their words or galvanize a team with their commanding presence. These figures typically seem larger than life, embodying...
What Are My Options? How to Speak Commander
By LTC Terron Wharton Five years ago, as a battalion S3, I watched a frustrated company commander struggle to brief my battalion commander. Unfortunately, this had become a trend for this particular company commander. Later that day, I brought him...
Ep 131: J. Furman Daniel III- Blood, Mud, and Oil Paint
Send us a text The FTGN Merch Store is Live!! Help Support the site with official FTGN Gear!Joe Byerly sits down with Furman Daniel, author of Blood, Mud, and Oil Paint: The Remarkable Year That Made Winston Churchill. Together, they...
Effective Communication
By Jeff Farmer Are you an effective communicator? Can you communicate your direction, vision, and how to overcome hurdles to meet your objectives? In my experience, intentional leadership is the bedrock of building trust within an organization,...
Stories That Win Wars: The Role of Narrative in Military Planning and Innovation
Tom Gaines In military strategy, critical thinking, adaptability, and effective communication are essential. Traditional military instruction, focused on logic, data analysis, and protocols, often falls short in preparing leaders for the...
The “Why” Behind Your Career Timeline
by Brandon M. Eans When I wrote the article, “You Are Your Best Career Manager,” a year ago, I did not anticipate it would be the first part of a broader conversation. My initial motivation was to inform young leaders about the...
Maintaining Morale in Afghanistan’s Final Days
Paratroopers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division prepare to board a U.S. Air Force C-17 on August 30th, 2021 at the Hamid Karzai International Airport. (U.S. Army photo by Master Sgt. Alexander Burnett, 82nd Airborne Public Affairs). By Grant...
Ep. 130: Dr. Galena Rhoades- Fighting For Your Marriage
Send us a text The FTGN Merch Store is Live!! Help Support the site with official FTGN Gear!In this episode, Joe Byerly sits down with Dr. Galena Rhoades, co-author of Fighting for Your Marriage, to explore the essential skills...
Ep. 129: Command Sergeant Major Walter J. Zajkowski- On Leading Yourself
The FTGN Merch Store is Live!! Help Support the site with official FTGN Gear!In this episode, Joe Byerly talks with CSM Walter J. Zajkowski, Senior Enlisted Leader of Special Operations Command Pacific. With 30 years of service, CSM...
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Security Force Assistance Brigades: In Competition, Crisis, and Conflict
by Brian M. Ducote, Jim Gallagher, and Jason Elmore The thought of U.S. Army advisors often conjures images of an American Soldier in a foreign land, standing side by side with an inexperienced recruit. The advisor demonstrates the finer points of...
Train Small to Win Big: Rethinking Our Training Plan for Lethality
By Jake Murphy It is all too easy to forget that higher echelons exist to set the conditions for small units, in both tactical and garrison environments. To combat this, it is critical to trust subordinate leaders to effectively lead their...
Operationalizing and Prioritizing Leader Development Programs
By Derek Prario Particularly in the time of preparation, modernization, and ‘culture reset’ that we find ourselves in, an effective military leader must develop others for future battles. The mandate to ‘develop leaders’ is essential and commonly...
The Army’s Purpose is NOT to “Deploy, Fight, and Win Our Nation’s Wars”
By Ben Ordiway I hope our wisdom will grow with our power and teach us that the less we use our power, the greater it will be. –Thomas Jefferson What is the Army’s purpose? The answer depends on where you look. Doctrine enthusiasts will point...
Good Leaders Ask Better Questions
by Ryan Cornell-d’Echert “Once you have learned how to ask questions – relevant and appropriate and substantial questions – you have learned how to learn, and no one can keep you from learning whatever you want or need to know.” -Neil Postman and...
Mission and Motherhood: Tools for Leading Pregnant and Postpartum Soldiers
By Katie Walter I was terrified when I discovered I was pregnant as a young Second Lieutenant in the Armor branch. Among the other stressors of pregnancy and raising a child, I was nervous my Squadron’s leaders might view me negatively for being...
What Junior Leaders Need to Understand About Their Field Grade Boss
By Quentin O’Neal Major Dave Leydet and Major Ryan Stephenson recently penned a phenomenal article detailing the importance of the relationship between a unit’s Executive Officer (XO) and its Operations Officer (S3). It also expounds upon those two...
Does Your Organization Need a Command Sergeant Major?
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on LinkedIn for a corporate audience. Listen to Joe’s interview with Juliet here. And keep your eyes open for Juliet’s return to the podcast! by Juliet Funt I have no military family, nor do I...
4 Reading Recs For Holistic Self-Development
by Jack Hadley Military professionals’ reading for self-development tends to fall into two general categories. First, well, military professional reading. This genre is flexible, but generally includes things like A Message to Garcia (and other...
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: One Foot In Front Of The Other
by James Duncan July 1st, 2013. I only remember bits and pieces of it, but make no mistake about it – I was there. You have only to look at the picture of an incredibly nervous, skinny kid sitting in a bus, waiting. For all I knew, I was about to...
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