From the Green Notebook

General Votel on the Power of Pausing

CrowdStrike, COVID, and System Fragility: Takeaways for Today’s Leaders

By John Geracitano

On July 18th, a software patch from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike tore through Microsoft operating systems, exposing the fragility of our technological networks. This incident didn’t just crash Windows computers; it required manual fixes for each machine, costing an incalculable amount of money and work hours. While shorter in duration, the fallout from this event mirrors the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting two crucial similarities: both events exposed our tenuous global interconnectedness, and both served as breeding grounds for cultivating false narratives and disinformation campaigns.

By examining the impacts and responses to these events, leaders in any organization can better understand how to strengthen their systems and combat misinformation in times of turmoil. The chief lessons learned from these cautionary tales are the peril of single points of failure in an organization and the speed at which falsehoods can travel. 

Bigger Sibling’s Advice for Post-Platoon Leader Life

As I prepared to move across the hallway and take over as our company’s Executive Officer (“XO”), I was sick-to-my-stomach nervous. Sure, I had been reasonably successful as a Platoon Leader, but what on earth did I know about running a company? It wasn’t like I had my hand held as a Platoon Leader (“PL”), but the XO sure did an awful lot on our behalf.

Whether we were getting ready for the field, preparing to support a sister company, or scrambling to get out the door for a prepare-to-deploy mission set, the XO always seemed to have the right answer tucked up their sleeve. Could I really live up to that?

Like most things in life, it just took some time, a few stumbles along the way, and a ton of support from great teammates before I found my groove. For those of you experiencing those familiar nerve-wracking feelings as you prepare to move from your platoon to the company level, here are five bits of advice that worked wonders for me.

Do You Only Have Chauffeur Knowledge? Here’s How to Gain Expertise

by John Geracitano

Famed physicist Max Planck gave countless speeches on his research in the company of his trusty chauffeur, who listened to each one. They once switched roles for fun, and the chauffeur gave Planck’s speech without fault. But when he was asked a technical question later from the audience, the chauffeur wavered. Smiling, he exclaimed that it was so easy even his chauffeur (Max Planck) could answer it. 

The chauffeur had memorized a niche set of technical principles that enabled his portrayal of expertise, yet in reality he had no working knowledge of the concepts. Chauffeur knowledge came to be a term for the passive knowledge one can pretend to know, but does not hold any mastery over. 

This term resonates with the anxiety many professionals face. Picture yourself in a large, cross-functional meeting, where the discussion veers into a topic that’s not your area of expertise. You’re keeping up, but your confidence starts to flag as the conversation deepens. This usually happens when the communications officer details why services are limited at certain locations or when the lawyer cites precedents or regulations only they understand. Both examples result in a gap in understanding the big picture. Leaders with merely chauffeur knowledge on niche topics may struggle to make confident decisions.

Behind the Camera: The Purpose of Unit Public Affairs

By Haylee Gagnon 

Taking the job as the Unit Public Affairs Officer (PAO) and Battalion Adjutant is not what every Infantry Officer prepares for. Trading in my ruck for a camera was terrifying for the simple fact that I wouldn’t be doing what an Infantry Officer, in my mind, should be doing. How am I supposed to run social media accounts and display the Regiment’s image to our following if I barely have social media myself? I am not trained as a photographer, so how will I take quality enough pictures to display our training? 

I am not a social media expert. I am not professionally trained in Public Affairs. However, I was tasked with handling our battalion’s social media. While I was scared as I waded into the unknown, working as my Battalion’s PAO has been both a great job for my development and an impactful experience. Each day I go to work with the opportunity to shape the experience of those in our battalion, their families, and potential recruits. Public affairs are the voice, the expression of our culture, the entity that allows for the sharing of our courage and showcasing the Army’s greatest asset: our people.

Culture