A great book to appreciate the definition of a Level Five leader is Jim Collins’ “Good to Great”. According to Jim Collins, a Level Five leader “builds enduring greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will”. Chapter 2 of “Good to Great” describes in plain language the traits and characteristics of a … Read more
Why one general’s quiet habit worked, and how to make it yours. Last week I told you about one of my role models, Lieutenant General Don Holder (USA retired), who visited the junior soldiers in a unit, asked lots of thoughtful questions, took notes, and never interrupted their answers. I keep coming back to that … Read more
The second Big 6 principle is the one almost every leader underestimates. One of the finest Army leaders I ever observed in my military career was Lieutenant General (Retired) Don Holder. He helped lead the Army’s doctrinal shift toward decentralized operations and empowerment, and in doing so he shaped generations of leaders. But what I … Read more
A plan tells people what to do. Intent tells them what you’re trying to accomplish — so they can adapt when the plan meets reality. Years ago, commanding in a war exercise, I made a decision I have never forgotten. I attacked the enemy’s strength instead of his weakness. It was the wrong call, and … Read more
There was a time when scale was an advantage. Or capital. Or access to information. Or geographic dominance. Those days are over. In the Information Age, accelerated by political upheaval, pandemic disruption, social unrest, and technological explosion, those advantages evaporate quickly. What worked yesterday gets copied today and is obsolete tomorrow. I’ve watched this play … Read more
The Question Leaders Keep Asking: “Why does this feel so much harder to navigate than disagreements used to?” I hear this all the time. It’s not that we suddenly discovered disagreement—we’ve disagreed, sometimes fiercely, through every chapter of our national story. But something has changed. The disagreements feel sharper. The emotional temperature is higher. And … Read more
