REFLECT
Three Lessons for the Commissioning Class of 2025
by John Geracitano Sixteen years ago, I was a struggling lieutenant—well-meaning but clueless. Despite caring deeply about my unit’s success, its soldiers, and my leadership role, I couldn’t grasp the “big picture.” Navigating the many demands of...
Because the Plot Demands It: On Roles, Responsibility, and Character
By Joe Byerly I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the various roles we play in life—and the responsibilities, behaviors, and costumes that come with them. Every role, from parent to spouse to commander to CEO, comes with a contract. Sometimes...
The Case for Sharing Your Personality Test Results at Work
U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Ian Thompson By Jared Massie All service members should take a personality test. This helps you see yourself as others do and generates positive cycles of self-reflection. Additionally, personality tests cultivate an...
From the Red Notebook: Leadership Lessons in What Not to Do
By Ray Ramos History is filled with cautionary tales. Not just of tyrants and generals who fell from grace, but of leaders undone by smaller, quieter failures—ones that rarely make headlines but still erode trust, corrode teams, and cripple...
Soul vs. Ego
By Joe Byerly I would love to play guitar in front of a crowd at a bar, watch them sing along, and then take requests for their favorite songs. I would love to have a custom-built shed in my backyard that I built myself. I would love to hike the...
The Best Job I Never Thought I Wanted
by Ned Marsh From 2022 through 2024, I served as one-third of the command team for the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Detrick, Maryland. Garrison command became the highlight of my career—the best job I never thought I wanted. First, it was a job that was...
“They Don’t Get It” is a Leadership Red Flag
By Sara Roger “Soldiers these days just don’t get it.” I’ve heard that sentence at least ten—maybe even twenty—times since arriving in Germany. And when it came up again this past Thursday, I felt a sudden urge to respond: “Maybe you don’t get...
Power, Character, and the Gates We Open
By Joe Byerly Throughout ancient history, cities didn’t always fall on the fields of battle or by infantry scaling the walls. More often than we realize, they were undone from within—by opportunists who, under the cover of darkness, opened secret...
Life Lessons from Jimmy Kimmel’s Head Writer (That Apply to the Rest of Us Too)
By Joe Byerly Danny Ricker writes jokes for a living. As one of Jimmy Kimmel’s head writers, he leads a team that churns out pages of material every day—most of which never makes it on air. But behind the punchlines is a mindset that applies far...
Power, Hubris, and the Role of Fortune
By Joe Byerly When we attain power, we often see it through the protagonist’s lens: “This is my story. I climbed the ranks. I earned this.” And while that may be partially true, it’s rarely the whole story. What’s often missing is the hand of...
The Most Thoughtful Way to Gift a Book in the Military
On an upcoming episode of the From the Green Notebook Podcast, Joe asks former SEAL and best-selling author Jack Carr about what book played a large role in influencing him as a leader during his time in uniform. Jack shared that Once an Eagle by...
Your Biggest Barrier to Clear Thinking Under Stress: Bolstering
By Jared Massie Stress can be a double-edged sword for leaders. It can heighten awareness and prompt decisive actions, but too much has the potential to paralyze, cloud judgment, and impede logical reasoning. When our stressors seem too weighty for...
Don’t Lose Yourself in Your Service: Why I Couldn’t Stay in the Navy
By Marina Muenster A few months ago, I wore my Navy uniform for the last time. In total, I spent nearly 10 years in the service, first as a midshipman at the Naval Academy and then as a Nuclear Surface Warfare Officer. I am often asked why I left...
The Oath of Commissioned Officers Demands We Pursue Perfection
by Christian A. Dionisio For the vast majority of Americans, the relentless pursuit of perfection is completely unreasonable, even irrational. In the profession of arms, however, the relentless pursuit of perfection is illuminated in our oath,...
The Most Neglected Path to Leader Growth: Self-Development
by Brian McDonough Arguably one of the most discussed but neglected concepts among Army Leaders is one’s self-development. Every day leaders must balance responsibilities to their organization, their soldiers, their families, and themselves....
When Ego Leads
by Meaghan Parchert “Leadership in a democratic Army means firmness, not harshness; understanding, not weakness; justice, not license; humaneness, not intolerance; generosity, not selfishness; pride, not egotism.” – GEN Omar Bradley...
“Leading Up” as a Company Grade Officer
by Mike Martino “Someone got Sir off topic again…” Forty of us, students at the Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course (IBOLC), were huddled into a corner of Building 466A listening to our platoon tactical trainer. We were supposed to be discussing...
To Captains in the Marketplace: Consider Recruiting Command
by Ben Potter Are you an Army Captain whose AIM marketplace is open? If so, you may see Company Command positions within the U.S. Army Recruiting Command (“USAREC”). These positions are a phenomenal broadening opportunity, and you should consider...
7 Years’ Time: A Sexual Assault Survivor’s Story
(David McNew/Getty) Editor’s Note: Today is Denim Day, an annual campaign observed worldwide to highlight misconceptions surrounding sexual violence. It began twenty-plus years ago, after the Italian Supreme Court justices ruled that a rape...
Diving with Death: Navigating Scary Conversations in Mental Health
By Stein Thorbeck I want to tell you a story to make you better at supporting people in pain. I was glad to be there when it happened, despite the difficulty. Further, I was thankful to know something about struggle. My experience with depression...
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Strengthening the Ranks: Strategies for Improving Retention
by Jakob Hutter Amidst the backdrop of the United States flag, rows of uniformed soldiers stand at attention. The commanding officer addresses the formation as today is an opportunity filled with a time-honored tradition of reaffirmation, loyalty,...
The XO and S3 Relationship is a Force Multiplier
By Dave Leydet and Ryan Stephenson The transition from company grade to field grade leadership is met with numerous maxims, such as “moving from direct to organizational leadership,” “Iron Majors run the organization,” and “relationships matter.”...
It’s Not About the Money: Retaining Through Inspiring
Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash by Terron Wharton It is no secret the Army is having recruiting and retention challenges. The Army’s primary response has been a tried and true one: money. Big bonuses to sign up and re-up are proven methods that have...
Quit Turning the Bubbles Green
Photo: Army Times, “Report: Army officers admit to (and defend) their lying” by Jim Jimenez and Chris Slininger Every leadership book we’ve ever read would agree: lying is not a hallmark of a good leader. Yet in the Army we lie...
Negative Capability: The One Skill Military Leaders Need
Photo Courtesy of Lucasfilm By Joe Byerly In the early 1970s, a young George Lucas had an idea to create a movie the likes of which no one had seen (or experienced) before. It would be a mix of science fiction and mythology. But there were...
Rise to the Level of Creativity: Assessments from Large-Scale Combat Operations
by Daniel R. DeNeve, Kevin J. Quigley, & Larry Kay Army units at every echelon struggle to meet mission and training requirements due to lack of creativity, critical thought, and disciplined initiative. While repetition and trauma facilitate...
AI for the Win: Four Game-Changing Resources for Your Organization
by Joshua Caballero The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. -Alvin Toffler Innovation is no longer a choice but a necessity in today’s constantly...
The Importance of Property Accountability and Readiness
by Jakob Hutter From helmets to Humvees, property accountability is a critical aspect of sustaining operational readiness. Property accountability refers to an organization’s ability to effectively track, manage, and report on equipment and assets....
Building Cohesive and Effective Teams
by Mitch Butterworth “It is not what [leaders] know or how bright they are that leads to success or failure; [rather] how well they work with others, and how well they understand themselves.” – R.J....
4 Types of Officers; and How to Develop Yourself and Others
By Joel Smith The Four Types of Officers As a young officer I read German General Kurt Von Hammerstein-Equord’s four officer categories; they are 1) the clever, 2) the industrious, 3) the lazy, and 4) the stupid. “I divide my officers into four...
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