General Randy George
You are entering our profession with a world that is more dynamic and volatile than I have known in my time in uniform. Warfighting is evolving as rapidly as the technology in all our pockets. You will see more change in the next five years than senior leaders today have witnessed in the last twenty, and you will help lead that change. You’re going to need to think creatively, decide quickly, and act purposefully.
And yet, what won’t change is our Army’s need for physically and mentally tough leaders of character. You are trained for that role. You are ready for what’s next. As you take the next step in your journeys as leaders in the profession of arms, I’d like to share three qualities that good leaders embody.
First, good leaders immerse themselves in their craft. They understand the importance of self-development and spend the effort necessary to properly prepare themselves before they train their units.
You must do this because you will be asked to lead incredible soldiers, who have made it their duty to prepare themselves for combat. Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha was one of those soldiers in my formation. His tireless preparation paid off when he and his team at Combat Outpost Keating in the mountains of Afghanistan found themselves with the odds stacked against them. They kept the base from being overrun and saved many lives because they were experts. You will lead soldiers like Romesha—soldiers who are immersed in their craft—so take full advantage of the training, coaching, and mentoring that’s available to you. As President John F. Kennedy said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.”
Second, good leaders focus on the here and now. In other words, they play the positions they’re assigned. They are laser focused on the jobs they’re in and aren’t consumed worrying about their ratings or their next jobs. Over the years, I had jobs I didn’t really want. As a brand-new major, I was assigned to the National Simulation Center. That job wasn’t even at the bottom of my wish list. I wanted to head back to a field-grade job in a division. Years later, I got pulled into a joint job in the basement of the Pentagon after coming back from an Afghanistan deployment. In both cases, I heard whispers that these jobs would put me behind in my career. I saw them as setbacks and worried how or even if I would recover. And yet, the truth is those two positions were probably the most developmental jobs I’ve had in my career. They certainly didn’t hurt me. Be an asset to your team. In my experience, good things happen to leaders that buckle down and play position. Don’t spend a minute moping. Learn the job. Build the team. Accomplish the mission.
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