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Ep. 162- Wisdom Takes Work with Ryan Holiday
Send us a text New York Times bestselling author Ryan Holiday returns to From the Green Notebook for his third conversation with Joe—this time diving into the themes of his latest and final book in the Stoic Virtues...
Forks, Spoons, and Holes in the Sidewalk
By Joe Byerly How many times have you tried something new, only to find it didn’t bring the results you hoped for? In fact, that “new” thing left you feeling exactly as you did in the beginning—disappointed, frustrated, maybe even stuck. I was...
Ep 161- The LANDEURO Talks
This is the longest episode ever of From the Green Notebook—and for good reason. Joe brings you a special LANDEURO Talks edition of the podcast, recorded at AUSA’s inaugural LANDEURO conference in Germany back in July. While at LANDEURO, Joe...
Compliance vs Commitment: Our Appearance as a Promise of Trust
Photo Credit: Donte Shelton, 49th Public Affairs Detachment By Sam Balch There are two common schools of thought about uniforms and personal appearance. Some see them as walking résumés, proof of what we have accomplished. Others treat them like...
Boromir and Faramir: A Cautionary Tale for the Ambitious Officer
by Major Colin A. Sexton In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the brothers Boromir and Faramir of Gondor embody contrasting responses to power, purpose, and personal ambition. Their story is not just a subplot in a fantastical epic; it is a...
Harmony and Chaos: Navigating the BSB-DSSB Tug of War
by Tony Grajales Power corresponds to the human ability not just to act but to act in concert. – Hannah Arendt Spartans, Raiders, and the Pyramid In the U.S. Army, sustainment operations are more than support functions; they are a battlefield...
A Cat, a Hat, and the Benefit of Constraints
By Joe Byerly In 1957, Theodor Geisel’s publisher challenged him to create a children’s book with characters, a plot, and all the trappings of a great story using only a first-grade vocabulary list of less than 250 words. He produced The Cat...
From Problem to Prototype: Innovating Dental Care for Large Scale Combat Operations from the Ground Up
By FiSamuel Reggans As the First Sergeant of a Dental Company Area Support (DCAS), I’ve long understood how critical dental readiness is to combat power, and that is no different in Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO). However, the doctrine and...
Skip Band of Brothers, Watch Andor!
By MAJ Proto and 2LT Phocas It would not be much of an exaggeration to say that nearly every junior officer has seen at least some part of the HBO hit Band of Brothers during their formative professional military education. It might even be safe to...
Advocating for Apathy
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 13: U.S. Army (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images) By Nathan A. Ballinger If everything is important, then nothing is. – Patrick M. Lencioni I’ve spent enough years as a senior noncommissioned...
Why Aren’t There More Books About Communication On Military Reading Lists?
By Megan Jantos Leadership is communication, and communication is leadership. Don’t believe me? Try influencing others by providing purpose, direction, and motivation without communication. On the flip side, people naturally follow those who...
Become an Innovation Insurgent!
This post originally appeared on Linkedin here. By: William Treseder We love learning at BMNT. There are always ways to improve, and books are a fantastic source of distilled wisdom that you can apply in real-world situations. Below is a...
Getting the Cannons to Boston: Henry Knox
You’re reading an excerpt from Serial Box and the Associated Press’s new series, 1776: A World Turned Upside down Learn more about this project here. Between chatting up customers, Knox was also reading all he could lay his hands on about...
Bookish, Bold, and Jolly: Henry Knox
You’re reading an excerpt from Serial Box and the Associated Press’s new series, 1776: A World Turned Upside down Learn more about this project here. Paine provided the intellectual and emotional flint to spark colonists’ feelings into flames, Knox...
The Founding Failure: Part 2
You’re reading an excerpt from Serial Box and the Associated Press’s new series, 1776: A World Turned Upside down Learn more about this project here. After his most recent failure of employment, Paine was contemplating forming a “Salt-Peter...
The Founding Failure
You’re reading an excerpt from Serial Box and the Associated Press’s new series, 1776: A World Turned Upside down Learn more about this project here. The Founding Corset-Maker Tom Paine had been a dabbler at many things, a failure...
The Army Field Grade Starter Kit
“The Major runs on coffee and hate…and I think he’s out of coffee.” -Some Poor Staff Captain at NTC Last year I completed S3/XO time and there were a couple of things I wish I would have had in my cargo pocket when I walked...
How to Read More Books in 2018
We all can probably agree that reading is good for the brain. Leaders from George Washington to General Patton leaned on books to fill their knowledge gaps, and their efforts paid off on the battlefield. Defense Secretary James Mattis...
2017 in The Books
At the end of every year, I compile all the books I read in twelve months into a year-end reading list. Here are ones from 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. This year I didn’t even come close to reaching my reading goal. However, the books I did...
25 Podcasts to Build Your Library
Whether you are traveling on a long car trip, commuting to work, or going for a long run/bike ride, there is no better way to pass the time and grow your brain than to listen to a podcast. After canvassing my network and pulling from my own...
Why Senior Leaders Should Compete for an Expert Badge
Photo By Edward Muniz | Col. Michael Stewart reading Coordinates. by Joseph F. Adams I am an expert and I am a professional. – The Soldier’s Creed Cold mud and rain dripped down my forearms as I lay in the prone position and aimed my M80 Claymore....
What is Your Relationship with Time?
By Joe Byerly “I’ll try to find some time.” “I need more time.” “There’s not enough time in the day.” These phrases used to roll off my tongue without a second thought. My relationship with time was…contentious. My calendar dictated my life. ...
Is Your Superpower Actually Kryptonite?
By Mike Shekleton Many of us have seen a brand-new platoon leader, who is in peak physical condition, fall flat on their face during their first time leading platoon PT (physical training). Excited to lead and looking to impress their NCOs...
What Missing a Promotion Taught Me About Success
by Anthony Cannamela In early 2023, I was exactly where I wanted to be. My job was high-stakes, and it pushed my skills every day. When two four-star Admirals proposed an operation using what one described as the “crown jewel” of the U.S. Navy, my...
The Art of Recognition: A Culture of Investing in Human Capital
by MAJ Daniel J. Sprouse Creating a culture where first-line leaders recognize Soldiers for their pursuit of excellence is essential to unit success. While many military leaders focus on awards (such as achievement and commendation medals) as the...
You Built a System. Did You Build Any Leaders?
By Sara Roger Nine business days into this new job, and just one more day before I begin a three-week training exercise with a brand-new team in a different country. Needless to say, the stress is present: I’m against the clock in getting spun up,...
Find Your Power and Use it for Good: Why I Stayed for a Career
by Ryan Cornell-d’Echert “Are you getting what you want from what you do?” One of my colleagues asked that to his students and protégés; it’s a powerful question that has stuck with me. Because military service is an enormous commitment, it is...
It’s All Theory Until We Do It
By Joe Byerly We can have the best of plans. We can have the greatest of intentions. But until those plans and intentions collide with reality—it’s all just theory. Theories aren’t reality. They’re untested. They live in our minds—with plot lines...
Serving Until the End
by Chris Mulder Why I Joined the Air Force: A Family Legacy of Flying “You should serve as long as you can,” an old boss advised me while I contemplated my future. As I considered his advice, I reflected on why I entered the Air Force in the first...
Betting on Yourself
By Joe Byerly Before I had kids, I used to enjoy placing bets. I played blackjack at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas when I was stationed out on the west coast. I threw down friendly wagers on the game at Super Bowl parties. When I lived at Fort...
The 1,000,000 Lessons Milestone
In Ancient Rome, miliariums were stone obelisks that first appeared along the famous Appian Way and became central to the Roman road networks. They helped citizens get from one point to another, marking the distance traveled. Eventually, the...
How to Organize Your Notebook For Success
By: Jeremiah Hurley I grew up in an Army where pen and paper were as important uniform items as your pants. In the right hands, a pen and paper are powerful tools. As great as you think your memory may be, it’s not perfect – you need to take...
Army PAOs and the Often-Overlooked Strategic Seat ‘At the Table’
By Captain Kevin Sandell When U.S. Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched into Syria this past April, it was a Navy Mass Communications Specialist who captured the viral footage shown on national and international news networks. It was an Army...
How Good Leaders Communicate: Conduits vs Reservoirs
By: MAJ Ryan C. Boileau, Sr Over my 25-plus year military career, I have benefitted from mentors who shared their knowledge with me. A common trait in all great leaders is being a conduit of knowledge – disseminating and sharing what they know to...
If You Want To Write, Collaborate!
By Gary Klein At some point in time, all of us have written for school, our jobs, or publication. However, chances are, most of us have done this alone. Admittedly, writing by yourself simplifies the process of prewriting, drafting, revising,...
Iron Major, Meet Your PAO
By Dave Butler and Dave Chace In the Information Age, how your actions are interpreted are as important as the actions themselves. This applies not only to the battlefield but to the local community, the greater military enterprise and your...
Why Every Leader Should Carry a (Green) Notebook
By Joe Byerly There are several great articles (here, here, or here) about the importance of writing for publication, but what about the importance of writing for yourself? From Marcus Aurelius to George Patton and Leonardo da Vinci to Bill Gates,...
#AUSADIGITAL: Social Media and the Future of Leader Development
By Joe Byerly In 1920, as commander of 3rd Squadron, 3d Cavalry, then Colonel George S. Patton Jr. held a series of sixteen lectures in which we he imparted the lessons he had learned from a mixture of self study and his own experiences in...
Commanders As Communicators
From ARMY Magazine, Vol. 66, No. 4, April 2016. Copyright © 2016 by the Association of the U.S. Army and reprinted by permission of ARMY Magazine. By Dave Hodne Among the many rewards of commanding at the brigade level, the opportunity to...
Above and Beyond the Green Notebook
From ARMY Magazine, Vol. 67, No. 3, March 2017. Copyright © 2017 by the Association of the U.S. Army and reprinted by permission of ARMY Magazine. By Joe Byerly Walk into any organization in our Army and there is one thing I...
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