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Our articles are written by authors from all walks of life with the intent of developing and inspiring the Army’s Junior Leaders

A Junior Officer’s Guide to Leading Creativity in the Army

Jordon Swain & James Armstrong

Junior officers in the United States Army lack creativity - this is what a survey of Army leadership reveals. Why does this matter and what you can do about it?

An Interview with COL Saslav of the 82nd Airborne- Building the Tools to Succeed as a Junior Officer

James S. McLaughlin

Junior officer leader development programs often have a strong focus on things like character, emotional intelligence, or the interpersonal skills necessary to lead formations or serve on staffs.....

How to Become a Better Army Officer Through Golfing

Jordon Swain and Lorenzo Llorente

Golf can be a valuable leader development tool – and we are NOT talking metaphorically. Playing golf can help you develop actual knowledge, skills, and …

Own Your Own Grid Square- Build Trust and a More Effective Team

George Fust

The smallest lapse in discipline or unaccomplished task may result in mission failure. No matter how big or small the contribution, every member of the organization relies on every other …

Build Community with your Unit – Share their Task

Tom Dull

“Share the hardship.” A phrase often used by leaders to inspire subordinates in tactical training and operations such as live fires, ruck marches, and physical training. But in the most …

Some Quick Tips on Maintenance and Leadership for Junior Officers

Jordon Swain

I've served with more than a few Majors and Lieutenant Colonels who didn't know what a 5988E or a 2404 were, didn't know where their BII was stored in their …

Drive by Leadership

Chad Plenge

It was about 4:30 am and my Soldiers were showing up for their law enforcement shift. I was going to work in place of one of them, giving a lucky …

The Cowardice and Casualties of Conflict Avoidance

MJ Cantrell

Being non-confrontational can have its upsides. Conflict-avoidant people aren't prone to burning bridges, and based on observation, they tend to strengthen teams rather than weaken them.

Building Readiness through the Stoic Philosophy

Chris Slininger

"Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look" -Marcus Aurelius

Part 3 — Making the Switch: What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Field Grade Officer

Don Gomez

This is Part 3 of a Series, view the series intro here and Part 2 here. Note: Quotes and feedback have been anonymized and modified for …

Making the Switch: What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Field Grade Officer

Don Gomez

Last week, the Army released the results of the 2021 Major Promotion Selection Board (PSB)......

Embarrassed? Or Wrong?

Ray Kimball

It's impossible to know, of course, but I have a hunch why. I was the Distinguished Guest Speaker, after all. Even though I was nominally junior to most of the …

Three Things to Make You Good at Any Job

Lucas Thoma

Wisdom can come from the most unexpected places — like a bar.

Perspectives on the AIM 2.0 Marketplace — A Peek Behind the Curtain

Mark Gnodle, Michael Brodka, & John Hermida

The AIM 2.0 Marketplace can be daunting even for those who have navigated its changing structure over several movement cycles. We look at the Marketplace from three perspectives: the mover, …

Company-Grade to Field-Grade: Introducing “Making the Switch”

Don Gomez

Introducing our new series on "Making the Switch" from Company-Grade to Field-Grade.

The Mindful Leader

Jonathan Silk

Have you ever been in the middle of an important conversation with your subordinate and while they are speaking your mind wanders, or you look down at your mobile device …

Emergencies, Mental Models, and You

Dan Dworkis, MD PhD

Mental models are the conceptual frameworks that we use to explain how parts of reality work.......

Overcoming Fear as a New Leader

George Runkle

The purpose of these weeks was clear: To show me that I was an absolute disgrace who should not be listened to, and not worthy of the honor of leading …

First 90 Days as an XO (Part 1)

Hugh Kennedy, Lorenzo Llorente II, Andrew Bordelon, and Terry Lee

But what happens after your time as a PL is over? More often than not you might find yourself serving as a Company Executive Officer.

Emotional Intelligence: A Step on the Path to Developing “People First” Leaders

Taylor Freitas

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is one of the most vital assets available to Army leaders; however, its cultivation often takes a backburner to other elements like …

Daring Vulnerability: Strengthening Teams by Discussing Fear

Frances “Katie” Walter

Army Officers are called to lead courageously. But we don’t always associate courage with vulnerability.

Why Junior Officers Should Volunteer

Clinton Grable - Published 17 AUG 2022

Volunteering, while no panacea, may be one of the best activities junior officers can do outside of duty hours. Let’s talk about how this often-unexplored …

First 90 Days as an XO (Part 2)

Hugh Kennedy, Lorenzo Llorente II, Andrew Bordelon, and Terry Lee

After all, this is your first real test as an Officer and what you have aspired to be up until this point right? But what happens after your time as …

Tips to Prepare for the Captain’s Career Course

Cale Queen

The Captain’s Career Course is an amazing experience, and you can learn so much from it. To be successful you need to start preparing before you enter the door. Take …

10 Hard Lessons Learned during Command of a Field Artillery Forward Support Company

Wade Cady

When faced with an extremely challenging adverse situation (civilian or military, personal or professional), how do you handle it? Do you knuckle down, and face it head on? Do you …

First 90 Days as an XO (Part 3)

Hugh Kennedy, Lorenzo Llorente II, Andrew Bordelon, and Terry Lee

The purpose of this article is to help you understand the responsibilities as an XO, as well as actions you can take within the first 90 days in position for …

Property 101

Tyler McKinney

"Sign for this." A common phrase throughout one's Army career, usually associated with a gut drenching feeling of hesitance. So, what does this phrase actually …

Unit Training Management — A Primer for Company Leaders

Don Gomez and Joshua Peterson

Junior leaders across the Army have rich and deep experience participating in training events and in many cases designing, executing, and assessing them. This guide …

“I’m not your friend” — Understanding the XO-PL Relationship

Joo Chung

When my fellow platoon leaders and I first met our Company Executive Officer, he immediately told us, "I'm not your friend, and I'm not here to answer your stupid questions."

Got Discipline? A Practical Guide to Instilling Discipline

Beau Wasson

Was it Mel Gibson's portrayal of then LTC Hal Moore in We Were Soldiers or Bill Murray's performance in Stripes that most enticed you to join the service? How about …

A Soldier’s Death – A Leader’s Challenge

James Tollefson

I was a young Specialist standing guard in a small platoon outpost in Al-Karmah, Iraq in 2007 when time stopped. Dust particles froze mid-drift through the air.....

What does it mean to be “second-in-command”?

Christian Nattiel

The role of an executive officer has manifold dimensions. Some of them, like resourcing training, are easier to grasp than others, like property divestment......

What About our Junior Officers: An Examination of Mental Health in the Army

Gabrielle Alford and Kate Campbell

For the ones who have felt alone and the ones we lost.

Championing an Inclusive Approach to Mentoring

Josh Bowen

Eventually, this incident and my reflections since have led me to consider the importance of inclusive mentoring. Inclusive mentoring means mentoring across demographics that are …

Tips to Avoid Fraternization

John Plaziak

AR 600-20 addresses other issues between Soldiers of different grades, but social and dating scenarios are typically the riskiest and most likely to occur for …

Should I Change My Name?

Mandi Rollinson

Dual military couples face many decisions. Changing names in the military has many considerations, whether in the military or not.

How to Speak Doctrinally Without Putting Soldiers to Sleep

Chad Plenge

When Platoon Leaders brief Operations Orders (OPORD), their briefing styles typically fall into one of three categories: a doctrinal style, a layman's style or a teaching style...

Promote Now: The Officer Selection Board Process

Abdullah Clark

Have you ever wondered how the officer promotion process works? This article pulls back the curtain and demystifies that process.