This weekend marks my 20th anniversary of leaving the Army.
20 years! So much has changed since then: My family, my career, technology...
Yet the nine years I spent in uniform still deeply impact my beliefs:
Outcomes are my responsibility
Marginal decisions executed well are better than great decisions executed poorly or too late
Inaction or indecision... is still an action or decision
The team comes first (first to eat, first to get credit, etc.), the leader is last
Bad employees are typically the fruit of bad leadership...
… but some people will never carry their weight. Focus on who you can help and develop
Lead by example (keep your own shit clean, demonstrate the values you demand from others)
Hang out with the squared away guys... you'll learn through osmosis (Pygmalion effect)
Take your lumps... you earned 'em
Sometimes there is no good option. Make a decision and get moving
As shitty as things might get, you'll get through them and what was difficult will seem easy
Communicate deliberately: early, often, effectively
These beliefs continue to guide my actions as I manage my businesses.
And that last one helped drive me into my primary business: showing others how to communicate deliberately.
I'm thankful for the experience, for the Army, for the amazing people I served with, and for my wife and her support while I served. Without them I would not be the man I am today.
- Kev
