U.S. Army CECOM’s Post

#ArmyCAP25 is underway as candidates make their way to Fort Knox, KY. Check out this video for an overview of #ArmyCAP and to learn about some recent changes to this year's #CommandAssessmentProgram - the largest leader assessment in the world! #TalentWins #WorldClassFairConsistent #BeAllYouCanBe

It is never too early to talk transition with Service Members and Chief Master Sergeant of Space Force (CMSSF) gets it in spades. Thanks to CMSSF Bentivegna for a great sit-down to discuss the future of transition for our Guardians. Leaders at every level should understand the transition journey and actively engage with our Service Members who are in the process. Responsible Behavior is key in the space realm and that theme can also be echoed in the transition spear. All leaders should ask question, lead and guide your Service Member through their transition journey. You are the gate keepers! Semper Supra #GoEarlyGoOften

From a 2023 Firehouse Magazine article: "In 2015, New York City Fire Department granted the firefighters an accommodation to maintain “closely-cropped facial hair, uncut by a razor.” The accommodation, often referred to as a shadow beard, still required the firefighters to pass an SCBA fit test. However, in 2018, FDNY withdrew the accommodation after it learned that federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations prohibit facial hair at the mask interface regardless of the fit test results." In the US Navy this is often the argument used against updating our own grooming standards as it relates to beards. "Given the burden upon those who have a disabling skin condition, such as PFB, together with its disparate effect on racial minorities, perhaps OSHA Safety Training Institute and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will see that it’s time to scientifically reevaluate the wisdom of the current regulations. If the science supports a continuation of the clean-shaven requirement, so be it. If not, then the regulations ought to be updated." My question to MyNavyHR & senior leadership is: what about the population of our Navy that does not serve in a billet or role that requires the use of an SCBA? Why, then, are we defending this regulation in our Navy in 2024? It is subjective to call beards unprofessional & especially discriminative against Sailors of color. Saying, "Well, Sailors with PFB can just get a medical waiver," is a bandaid and avoids the deeper bias that impacts the careers of these Sailors -- beards are negatively perceived and associated poorly because our standards say so. Just a few months ago... Sailors with hands in their pockets were considered unsatisfactory until the regulations were updated, too. Why is that...

"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card 🛸🚀 Recommended by Lt Gen Phil Garrant, this science fiction novel tells the story of Ender Wiggin, a gifted child undergoing intense military training to lead humanity in a war against aliens. Parallels with United States Space Force: - Leadership: Ender demonstrates that understanding oneself and others is crucial. Empathy and compassion for subordinates, peers, and adversaries enhance decision-making. - Innovation: The book highlights how children's creativity can lead to innovative, winning strategies. - Command and Control (C2): Trust and strong relationships between commanders and subordinates lead to cohesive unit operations. Understanding the commander's intent empowers lower levels to make tactical decisions. "Ender's Game" offers valuable lessons in leadership, innovation, and effective C2, all relevant to our work in the Space Force. #Leadership #Innovation #SpaceForce #MilitaryStrategy #EndersGame

What’s Calm Look Like? Post Military Thoughts Twenty years in the military taught me that in most scenarios ‘Non-Emosh’ face was a winner. Turns out that that’s not necessarily what works out in civvie street! This weekend I pitched up to the RTC my family had been involved in and set about sorting shiz out whilst non-emosh face did the heavy lifting. Apparently this is not as reassuring in civvie street as it was in the military! Now, I’m not suggesting that we all go on a crash course at RADA but maybe we need to communicate our inner monologue to make up for the total lack of facial emotion. Tell people what you’re thinking. Reassure them with your thought processes. Non-emosh is an epic look and always will be but think about your audience and back it up with comms. Onwards! #leadership #management #transitioningmilitary #managementconsulting #emotionalintelligence #veteran

Critical to developing a climate of mutual trust and shared understanding is building the team - it is a deliberate process

Trust is the foundation to building cohesive teams and adaptive leaders - two requirements to win any conflict - the ability to recognize a change in the environment and the organizational cultural to seize the opportunities it presents.

The success of the 7 April 2003 “Thunder Run” in Iraq was due to the development a command climate of trust based on positive leadership, competence developed during months of training, and a shared understanding of the bigger operational purpose. Read about it at https://lnkd.in/g6yFZFpw.

"...Army [units] often fail to trust, fail to train, fail to achieve shared understanding, and fail to reward those who display real initiative. Army leaders contribute to these failures through authoritarian behaviors, overprioritizing BS, and a distinct lack of imagination. These behaviors have produced underlying leader assumptions regarding the need for constant micromanagement, the expectation of mission command without training, and the primacy of risk aversion over prudent risk acceptance." Great article from an experienced practitioner on some of the cultural barriers to effective #MissionCommand #command #leadership https://lnkd.in/eFDY5-WP

Part of being a leader is developing your decision-making skills. You will never have perfect information, but you have to have a way to measure how to make those decisions. When I was a young Captain in 1995 in Okinawa, Japan, Colonel Aaron X. Butler gave me some advice that still serves me well to this day. I wrote a short article about it and hope it can help you become a better decision-maker as well. What have you found to be your biggest leadership decision challenge? #Leadership #Military