REFLECT
Make the Best Decision for You: Why I Stayed in the Army
by Dave Leydet As I sat in my high school algebra class, the principal’s voice came over the loudspeaker. “A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center,” he announced. I thought to myself, That’s odd; why are they telling us about a random...
Kids, COAs, and Career Crossroads: the Coordinated Chaos of being Dual-Military
By CPT Alex Weisser “Until I get too old or too ugly; Uncle Sam will tell me when to leave.” That’s what I tell people when they ask me how long I plan to stay in the Army. To an extent, my tongue-in-cheek saying is heartfelt. I enjoy Soldiering....
Retiring at 20: Why I Chose Family Over Competing for Battalion Command
Three years ago, with palms sweating, I walked into my senior rater’s office for a counseling session. I told him, “I don’t want battalion command and plan to retire at the first opportunity.” It took months to gather the courage to say those...
Sometimes, They Have to Touch the Stove
By Joe Byerly Now that I’m a parent of kids who are getting older, I find myself wanting to play more “life defense”—to protect them from the bruises and blows of growing up: failure, misfortune, consequences. I think we all do this to...
Letting Go of the Uniform, Not the Lessons
By: Joshua Risner In the Right Place I turned 15 on 9/11. I was raised in a patriotic household in rural America, by a family that valued and demonstrated service to others, to the community, and to the Nation. Like so many others, 9/11 was the...
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...
Hygiene for Leaders: Beyond Soap and Water
(Kim Ki Sam/Stars and Stripes) By Jamison Geracci and Jon Ayers Many servicemembers know that during their military separation process, they should get checked to see if they suffer from sleep apnea. The benefits of this are twofold. First, the...
Confessions of a Fixed-Mindset Leader
By Brandon Frei “I have not failed once… When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.” -Thomas Edison The Army I grew up in was full of leaders who were rewarded for accomplishing the...
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...
Flattening the Decision Cycle in Tactical Units
If you look in the Army’s manual on Mission Command, it says the philosophy is based on 6 principles: Build cohesive teams through mutual trust Create shared understanding Provide commander’s clear intent Exercise disciplined initiative...
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...
How to Lead Where Excellence is Already the Norm
By Terry Lee and Chevy Cook It’s no surprise that elite performers and high achievers tend to produce at a higher level, have outsized impact on their organizations, and are rewarded with selection, promotion, and more leadership...
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...
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