“It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own.” This was written by Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius some 2,000 years ago, and yet it could have been written this morning. Let’s be honest, most of us spend way too much time in our heads wondering what other people think of us. “Do I look confident enough?” “Do I sound smart?” “Did anyone notice that awkward thing I just said?” (Answer: Probably not, but your brain insists they did.) That self...
Center for Leadership Essays
The “On Leadership” section at the front of Army Magazine is designed to stimulate thought and discussion on how to build and lead effective, cohesive, and honorable teams across the Total Army.
These essays were previously published in ARMY magazine.
Company commanders bear immense responsibility for leading, training, equipping and caring for their soldiers while balancing mission requirements with organizational readiness. Yet they routinely are placed in positions where their success depends on navigating complex human issues with minimal preparation. For example, a staff sergeant under my command endured prolonged financial and emotional abuse from his spouse, leading to foreclosure, repossession and the spouse moving another individual into the home. After months of silence...
The battlefield has gone digital, but leadership can’t afford to follow blindly. Messaging platforms like Signal and WhatsApp have become standard tools across the force. They offer speed, access and reach like never before, but they’ve also shifted how leaders engage with their teams. Authority now arrives via notification. Pings replace presence. And that easy, always-available access creates a new problem: task saturation with no sense of timing, tempo or personal impact. Leaders unintentionally erode trust by pushing directives...
As the U.S. Army pursues its comprehensive transformation strategy, there are leadership demands that go beyond technical proficiency and tactical experience. Delivering critical warfighting capabilities, optimizing force structure and eliminating waste and obsolete programs does not relieve today’s leaders of the responsibility to be emotionally intelligent, adaptive and resilient. On the contrary, it requires more of them. Peer mentorship, defined here as reciprocal relationships between teammates of similar rank or experience, is a...
Accountability is one of the most important aspects of leadership, a cornerstone of military doctrine and culture, and every service member must demonstrate it. While widely enforced at lower command echelons, accountability becomes nuanced the higher up the chain of command. This leads to a perception that there are varying standards of accountability, depending on rank, and if left unchecked, it can impact the health of the armed services. Financial responsibility, career attrition and external contracting pressures contribute to...
On July 3, 1964, Gen. Harold Johnson was promoted and sworn in as the U.S. Army chief of staff. At the age of 52, with the exception of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, he was the youngest officer to serve in that position. He also is the only Army chief of staff who had been a prisoner of war. Johnson was a surprise selection for chief of staff; he was promoted over other, more senior commanders. He would serve as chief from 1964 to 1968 during the buildup and subsequent sustained combat in Vietnam, one of the Army’s most difficult eras...
Fifty years ago, I reported to Company B, 2nd Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry Regiment. Only a private then, the Rangers changed my life and launched a 33-year U.S. Army career. In October, I returned for the 50th anniversary of the 2nd Battalion’s activation at Fort Lewis, Washington, and reunited with my fellow original Bravo Company Rangers. What is now known as the 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, or the 2nd Ranger Battalion, hosted us and opened the battalion area to show how today’s Rangers live and train. I wanted to see...
In early 2022, I found myself in the Eisenhower Auditorium at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, captivated as then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville shared his philosophy of “People First” with the members of my Battalion and Brigade Pre-Command Course. People First was all about emphasizing the U.S. Army’s greatest strength—its people. However, as I absorbed his words, I couldn’t help but ponder whether this message had permeated through the ranks. The Army’s People First philosophy is a powerful declaration of the institution’s...
Cautiously, the lead squad emerges from concealed positions along wooded high ground above the mock village. A man wearing civilian clothes and a frightened look approaches the wary point man as if motioning for help. Suddenly, a muzzle flash bursts from a second-story window in the village. The platoon leader quickly calls for smoke to obscure friendly movement. With a squad providing suppressive fire, the assault element plunges through the billowing cloud and rushes toward the mock village. Out in the field—just like in combat—duty...
The Ukrainian incursion into the Russian Kursk region in August marked a daring military moment, showcasing the importance of adaptability and leadership under pressure. For young leaders in the U.S. Army, there are lessons to extract from this action. You don’t have to be deployed to Europe or be on the ground next to the Ukrainian armed forces to glean lessons, however. The following lessons, including takeaways, don’t focus on just tactics or logistics, but extend to leadership qualities, mental resilience and strategic thinking...