Category Archives: Personal Development

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Article: “Getting the Most Out of Professional Reading”

Are you gleaning the right lessons from your professional reading? Do you read military literature with an appropriate level of scrutiny? How do you know that an author is making assertions within the legitimate context of historical events? Maybe the more appropriate question is…“Are you reading at all?”

Today’s recommendation is an insightful post by fellow military leadership website host and talented writer, Army Major Joe Byerly. It’s a May 2014 article that also appeared in Small Wars Journal, entitled “Getting the Most Out of Professional Reading.”

Byerly challenges us to go beyond the block-check of professional reading and gives tips on how to engage with literature in a way that solidifies insight. He recommends:

  • Approach military writing in the proper context of history
  • Challenge authors to prevent confirmation bias
  • Capture your thoughts and reactions for reference and lesson permanency
  • Connect with other professionals on the topics (military blogs are a good place to start)
  • Transmit your own thoughts and insights on professional topics, through discussion or even professional writing

You’ll also find some article and book recommendations in his post.

Questions for Leaders:

  • Has professional education taken a back seat to professional execution?
  • How much more talented would you (and your team) be if you could internalize one professional lesson per day through books?
  • Is professional reading an individual’s responsibility or should leaders direct reading activity for their units?

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16 Resources for Preventing Distraction, Maximizing Productivity, and Prioritizing with Purpose

Military leaders have PLENTY of reasons to be overworked…“The Commanding General is visiting next week!” “The units are waiting for us to publish the order!” “Soldiers’ lives are at risk!”

The reality is that Soldiers’ lives will always be at risk. Command authority in the military will always dictate immediate response/action to higher headquarter demands. There will always be something to look at on the BlackBerry. We can’t fight these facts, so why not focus on being as efficient as possible despite them?

This post is all about giving you resources for eliminating distractions, delegating, prioritizing, and protecting your cognitive function. And along the way you’ll be challenged reconsider sacrificing so much “life” in the name of work.

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Sgt. 1st Class Robert Russell, a platoon sergeant and member of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul’s security force, crosses the Tarnek River in Qalat City, Afghanistan, July 9, 2011.
Photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Grovert Fuentes-Contreras

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With Freedom Comes Responsibility

In 2011, at the commissary of all places, I had an experience that showed me the importance of our public duty as service members. I captured my thoughts about the incident, which I think are still relevant.

Following his imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps, neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl wrote:

“Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness.”

The other day, I encountered two people on opposite ends of the responsibleness spectrum and have some thoughts about how we, as military service members and families, should behave.
 My first encounter was a positive one.

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Staff Sgt. Skipper J. Smith of the 39th Infantry Brigade’s Benton based Echo Company, 1-153rd Infantry Regiment assists in the cleanup after the Vilonia tornado. Photo Credit: Sarah Jones

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11 Keyboard Shortcuts You Must Learn

There are few obvious skills that military leaders need to be experts at…digital efficiency is usually not cited as one of them. But where do we spend the vast majority of our time? Behind the computer. Why not focus some effort on learning ways to be more efficient where we spend most of our time?

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Staff Sgt. Shantae Allen and 2nd Lt. Jessica Barbee configure a laptop computer in their simulated regional contracting center. Allen serves in the 620th Contingency Contracting Team, 902nd Contingency Contracting Battalion, Rock Island Arsenal, Ill. Barbee is assigned to the 90th Contracting Squadron, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wy. Photo by: Ed Worley

Here are a few keyboard shortcuts that you should already be using:

  • CTRL + C = Copy the selected item/text
  • CTRL + X = Cut the selected item/text
  • CTRL + V = Paste the copied/cut item
  • CTRL + A = Select all the items/text on a page

And here are 11 powerful shortcuts that could make you lethal behind the keyboard:

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4 Running Form Changes to Increase Speed and Efficiency

We do a lot of running in the military. But for as many miles as we log, we don’t do much training on how to improve running form to get faster or prevent injury. The common thought is that running form is individual and unchangeable, and some people are just faster than others.

The civilian running community, however, has mountains of research-based advice showing that a few simple running form changes will:

  • Improve your efficiency
  • Increase your speed
  • Extend your endurance
  • Reduce injuries

Here is what I’ve found that works.

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Military units run in formation at the start of the fourth Run for the Fallen festivities May 3 at Williams Stadium, Fort Lee, VA. RFTF aims to honor the sacrifices of those lost in uniform and provides reassurance to family members they will never be forgotten.
Photo by: US Army Images

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What Becoming a Parent Taught Me About Leadership (pt. 2)

In yesterday’s post, I revealed a few of the ways in which I thought becoming a parent would change me. I anticipated the obvious, like that a new baby would transform my daily routine and thrust me out of my comfort zone, and that I would instantly become a persistent example of right and wrong to this little being. I predicted that having a child would also influence how I interact with Soldiers and perform as a leader. Turns out, I was only scratching the surface of lessons that parenthood can teach a leader.

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The 1177th MCT redeploys after nine months in Afghanistan. Photo by: US Army Public Images

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What Becoming a Parent Taught Me About Leadership (pt. 1)

Almost 3 years ago, I captured some thoughts about how I thought becoming a parent would change me. Of course I knew it would be a “crucible”…a test or trial that causes defining and lasting change…but how would it alter who I was as a military leader? Would I view my role differently? Would I react to deployment orders with less stoicism when I have little ones to leave behind? Would I treat Soldiers differently?

10th Sustainment Soldiers redeploy to Fort Drum. Photo by: US Army Images

10th Sustainment Soldiers redeploy to Fort Drum. Photo by: US Army Images

I was sure to get these answers (and plenty more) with the birth of our two daughters. Below are excerpts from what I predicted I’d learn as a new father. In the next post, I’ll elaborate on the myriad of other ways in which having children has changed me as a leader.

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7 “Weak” Traits Military Leaders Should Cultivate

This article from the Huffington Post discusses seven traits that history and society has typically labeled as weak but that followers genuinely appreciate in a leader. Consider a few connections to military leadership:size0-army.mil-2008-03-10-120956

  • Empathy. Yes, having empathy is powerful when trying to connect with your team or a partner, but consider that empathy can also help you understand the enemy. What motivates him? What are his concerns? What are his vulnerabilities? “If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.” – Sun Tzu
  • Optimism. The military doesn’t rely on hope, but optimism isn’t about being hopeful. It’s about having “confidence in a successful outcome.” Who wants to follow a leader who doesn’t have a positive expectation about the mission, the team, or even his own leadership abilities?
  • Altruism. Phrased a different way, this trait is the #2 priority in the military – “Mission first, people always.” The volunteer military has clearly recognized that ensuring the welfare of its members has a direct, explicit link to mission performance. Leaders who do not take care of their people do not survive in the military.
  • Discernment. This is a crucial, if not decisive trait for military leaders. Discernment, the ability to accurately assess and judge a situation, forms the basis of our decision-making methodology (“See First, Understand First”; “Understand, Visualize, Describe”; Situational Awareness, Situational Understanding; Design). We must be able to assess conditions based on relevant factors and be able to discard extraneous information. This trait applies both in combat and in the day to day leadership process.

Read the rest of the article here.

Questions for Leaders:

  • What approach have you taken to assess the effectiveness of your own leadership traits?
  • What traits do you encourage in your subordinate leaders? Do they know what they are?
  • What other traits are important but rarely get talked about?

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