Leader Development

Leaders, Cultivate Your Initiative Environment

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

Objectively, I had a successful career in the Army. However, I let my ego get the best of me, and, ultimately, it was responsible for my greatest failure. Because of my ego, I am medically retiring at 34 years old—permanently disabled after 11 years of service.  

I write this reflection as I transition to a career in public education, hoping that my unfortunate experience can motivate some introspection or reflection for those continuing their service. I hope that my failure can be your lesson.  

The line between ego and pride is razor thin. When I started, I was twenty-three, a new Second Lieutenant in my first unit of assignment at Fort Hood. As one of three females in the organization, I felt immense pressure to prove I deserved to be there. I was eager to emulate all the behaviors and attitudes of “successful” and “respected” senior Officers and NCOs: show up early, leave late, be ever-present, run fast, be thin, never apologize, never be on profile, have no personal issues, and, when you think you have nothing left to give the Army, give a little more. I thought I had it figured out. At the time, I had perceived these traits as self-respect, but that really wasn’t what I was feeling. This wasn’t professional pride. It wasn’t true selfless service or duty—this was ego. 

A Text to Garcia: Business Rules for Work Texting

by Joon Lee

“We do NOT use Signal as our primary means of communication!” my fellow staff officer exclaimed. I sympathized—in our years of service, we’ve embraced the tenet that “we train like we fight,” that we must exercise our tactical systems even in the mundane non-tactical operations. However, at the pace, depth and breadth of our current task, with initiative required at so many lower levels, I knew that he was wrong. We had to adapt or we would not be able to keep up. 

A strict adherence to this tenet felt trite in the complex and rapidly evolving situation. While on the advance team visit in a foreign country, I saw a problem coming. With our Battalion already on the way and the rest of the Division soon to arrive, unstructured and mass text messaging through personal devices had become the primary means of communication.

Though we anticipate restrictions of our personal devices in future conflicts, the digital language that we construct, train, and enforce now will be critical. Developing standards of clarity in digital language is vital and will carry over to tactical systems. No matter the system or medium, language and clarity still matter.

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 victim’s tight jeans were evidence of her consenting to the sex. The following day, women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans in solidarity with the victim.

The story below was submitted anonymously. Unlike standard military briefings on sexual assault capturing statistics and legalities, this story captures the victim’s perspective. We publish this piece on Denim Day in honor of those suffering silently. It may contain content unsuitable for some readers. 

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It takes 7 years for all the cells in your body to completely regenerate.  In 570 days he will have never touched this body of mine. 

The craziest thing about being raped is time continues onward. You make new friends, get married, and even contemplate having children. Eventually you wonder, would it be safe for my child to join the Army? 

Am I safe? 

Warrant Officers Need to Write Well Too

by Mike Lima 

It’s not just officers who need to know how to write—it’s warrant officers too. 

Warrant officers now have many roles, including staff officer positions and numerous duties as action officers. As a staff officer, the primary role is to support the commander in decision-making and implementation. We provide analysis, make estimates, and make technical recommendations. As action officers, warrant officers create projects and lead action on packages for senior decision-makers. Each staff member has specific duties and responsibilities within the staff structure, regardless of their military occupation. 

Writing is arguably the most important part of the various roles of warrant officers. As for myself, I have had to write munitions-related appendices for Annex F (Sustainment). And not being in a staff position does not mean evasion from the requirement to write. I offer this stark warning to new warrant officers as someone who has learned from experience. 

As a newly arrived Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) in my first unit, my Company Commander put me on a battalion detail as an Army Regulation (AR) 15-6  investigating officer. I was required to assemble a final packet with analyzed facts and recommendations to present to my appointing authority. The appointing authority also was my senior rater, whom I had never met and would only see after he read my report. While I had experience writing, I needed assistance in this additional duty, not traditionally given to new warrant officers. You never know when your written communication will be your first impression to your chain of command. 

Harnessing the Power of Knowledge Management 

by Jakob Hutter

Reinventing the wheel is often discouraged. But COL Schmidt, the Director of Army University Press at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, argues it’s crucial for leaders to make impactful decisions and drive meaningful change in their organizations. 

COL Schmidt’s insights align with the Army’s emphasis on knowledge management (KM), aimed at improving efficiency and information retention within an organization. KM, outlined in ATP 6-01.1, aligns people, processes, tools, and organization to enhance shared understanding and mission success. It encompasses fostering a culture of knowledge sharing, optimizing processes, utilizing appropriate tools to allow commanders and staff to better exercise command and control through the operations process. By leveraging KM principles and processes, leaders can effectively drive the changes necessary to meet evolving challenges and ensure mission success. 

Three Hockey Books On Leadership

By Dan Sukman 

If you want to go somewhere fast, go by yourself. If you want to go far, go together.

– Glen Sather 

Sports often serve as a metaphor, and in many cases as a testing ground for real life. There are lessons we learn playing youth sports that we carry into adulthood that serve us well in our careers. Traits such as hard work, discipline, physical fitness, fair play, and teamwork apply not only to sports but in our roles as military leaders. While participation as an athlete can build these qualities, the mantle of coaching carries its own set of skills. 

Following the example of Ryan and Megan in their review of Eleven Rings when March Madness set in, this review will examine three books on hockey and the common leadership themes of each as the NHL playoffs get underway.

  • Behind the Bench by Craig Custance details the coaching philosophies of recent Stanley Cup head coaches including Joe Quenneville of the Blackhawks, Mike Babcock of the Red Wings, Dan Bylsma and Jack Sullivan of the Penguins, John Tortorella of the Lightning (note that most of these coaches have moved on from the teams they earned their Stanley Cup with). 
  • Let Them Lead by John Bacon is a memoir that follows the author through a season coaching a high school hockey team. Bacon takes a team that has been a perennial loser and turns them into a consistent winner.  
  • No One Wins Alone by Mark Messier is a memoir by one of the greatest players and leaders in NHL history. In his time in the League, Messier earned the nickname “The Captain” for his leadership abilities on the ice. 

These books stand out and offer valuable leadership lessons from the coach and player perspective. 

From a Company Commander to Platoon Leaders: Relax—and Check Your Ego

by Michael Everett

Relax. Be where your feet are. Be yourself. Learn how to Army. Read, write, learn. Own being the leader of your platoon.

You are about to be handed the keys to a platoon and officially begin your time as a platoon leader (PL)–the position you have been talking about, learning about, dreaming about for years (and will talk about for years to come). It does not matter the route you took to get here. What does matter is that you are about to embark on a formative and rewarding journey. And as a Company Commander, I have a few things I want to share with you so that you can enjoy your time as the leader of your platoon, while growing as a professional Army leader.

Relax

First and foremost, relax. While you are responsible for what your platoon does and does not accomplish, you are not in the fight alone. The Army created a Modified Table of Equipment and Personnel (MTOE) full of Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) because no one would hand a finely tuned warfighting machine over to a brand new, inexperienced, 22-year-old without surrounding him or her with decades of experience. Leverage your NCOs, especially your platoon sergeant and section leaders. Solicit their opinion as often as possible and carefully consider their recommendations. If you are lucky enough to have Warrant Officers in your platoon, always consult them when discussing, representing, or making decisions regarding the technical aspects of the platoon.

Wayne Gretzky and Coup d’oeil

by T.G. Bradbeer

In his classic work, On War, Clausewitz describes the concept of Coup d’oeil as “an intellect that, even in the darkest hour, retains some glimmering of the inner light which leads to truth.” This ‘inward eye’ refers to the ability of an individual to make sense of what is taking place around them, and which enables them to make a good decision based on an evaluation of time and space, faster than their opponents. Clausewitz concluded that coup d’oeil was an innate ability that distinguished brilliant battlefield commanders. 

However, the ‘inward eye’ might also be a metaphor to describe a person who has spent a lifetime developing their skills and competencies to be the very best at their profession. Napoleon, Grant, and Patton are examples of commanders with that inner light. Each demonstrated coup d’oeil refined by years of study and reflection, of learning and practicing the profession of arms. In competitive endeavors, coup d’oeil often distinguishes the great from the mere practitioners – in war, Napoleon, Grant, and Patton – in sports, Jordan, Brady, and Messi. Yet none demonstrated the ability to see their environment, process information in space and time, and make decisions to dominate their domain like the ‘The Great One’, Wayne Gretzky.

Author Daniel Coyle argues in his book The Talent Code, Greatness Isn’t Born, it’s Grown, that ability can be developed by rewiring the brain to approach tasks differently, as well as through countless hours of practice under the watchful eye of effective coaches. Gretzky validates this concept. Gretzky’s opponents were amazed at his sense of anticipation, his lateral mobility, and his ability to see the whole ice, a skill very few players could ever achieve during their careers. Yet his intuition was not only innate; it took years of practice to develop. Analyzing this exceptional athlete yields two major takeaways for Army officers: First, the development of skills and competencies should be a goal of every officer throughout their time in service and throughout their lifetime. Second, the value of reflection, to learn from every experience, whether it be a failure or success, should be ingrained in all military leaders.