America, we have a serious problem.

Leadership is at a deficit in our country, and it’s not just in politics. Business executives today are deeply concerned about their leadership bench -- 85% of executives say that they are not confident in their leadership pipelines. And that’s not all. The supply of leaders isn’t the only problem, the [lack of] leadership development in companies today are as well.

I went to the Army’s SERE C course (Survival, Evasions, Resistance, and Escape) in January 2010. It was extremely cold then, and I recall losing 20 pounds during our few weeks being “out in the woods,” but nonetheless, it was an incredible course that revealed exactly what you’re made of.

A Special Forces A-team (Operational Detachment-Alpha) consists of 12 Green Berets. Each member of the team is an expert in his speciality, whether it’s in weapons, communications, engineering, or medical (trauma) treatment. And for redundancy, there are two Green Berets who are trained in each of these specialty areas.

For nearly two decades, the United States has spearheaded the post-9/11 War on Terror throughout the world, and brave American men and women have volunteered to join our Armed Forces and defend our nation’s interests. Today, there are over 3.3 million veterans who chose to serve since September 11, 2001 and amongst them, an even smaller group of patriots who chose to lead.

Many of you have seen the study that Google launched called Project Oxygen, to prove that the quality of a manager didn’t impact a team’s performance. Their hypothesis was that some of Google’s mid-level managers and leaders are, “at best, a necessary evil, and at worst, a layer of bureaucracy” -- the study was supposed to help Google move towards a flat organizational structure without any managers.

Recently, I was having a conversation with a Private Equity client looking for Operators to run their portfolio companies. As a firm closing out its fourth fund and soon-to-be starting their fifth, they know who they’re looking for when it comes to Operators running their acquisitions.

This “gray” zone is an environment between black and white, where nothing is for certain and nearly everything is interwoven with each other and hence pretty complicated. There is no one right answer. Much like in war, or in business. Special Operators need to be comfortable with this uncertainty, as well as entrepreneurs and leaders of businesses.

Whatever the outcome the person has achieved, appreciation and gratitude is best exemplified when demonstrating the impact of their actions. It also provides positive feedback to the recipient, to better understand what your expectations are for future success!

My 15 year West Point reunion is coming up in two weeks! And as I was reconnecting with some old classmates, a story came up of our “early years.”

It’s hardly a secret that LinkedIn is the most popular platform for job-seekers and talent-seekers in the market. There are over 570 million users, with just under half being active users of the platform. (For context, the US Census Bureau reports that there are around 330 million people living in the US today.)

To all my “Ranger buddies” in the past, present and future — thank you! You have made this “suck” bearable and even memorable. You have been my inspiration to put one foot in front of the other. I’ve been blessed with my network of friends, family, and mentors to help guide me, and I am deeply indebted to your kindness and care.

Let’s continue to crush our future “sucks” together!

When I got out of the Army in late 2013, I thought I could conquer the world.

I had spent just under 14 years in military service (to include 4 years at West Point, 24 months in Afghanistan, and over 30 months of really hard military schools), and I believed I could do anything and be successful.

So when the CEO of my holding company asked if I wanted to run a small manufacturing subsidiary in Indiana, not even a year after my separation from the Army, I graciously accepted. I fully intended to do a really great job there and start my civilian professional career with a bang!

Ever feel like you’re always fighting everyone else? Each time you offer your thoughts on that new project. Or when you make a suggestion of a new idea. Does it seem like everyone is acting against you?

It could be the environment -- you could be in an organization that is absolutely resistant to change. They’ve fallen in love with how they’ve done things and resist anything other than the status quo.

Or it can be you. You can appear to be a ‘know-it-all’ or have no idea what you’re talking about, so people avoid your suggestions. Or you can just be not liked because you appear to be unpleasant in your interactions.

Last month, I was “stuck” on my island. And by my island, I mean the world that is 6 inches between my ears.

Ever since I was a young Army officer, I had the tendency to be a recluse when faced with complex, tough problems. I don’t know if it was a ‘me’ thing or a learned behavior from the military, but this is somewhat aligned with the concept of the “burden of command.”

As a leader, the success or failure of your organization is strictly dependent on you -- this your burden as the leader. There is no one else to share in this responsibility. The outcome is dependent on your ability to lead.

How many of us struggled with this in our careers? Whether in the military or civilian lives, our role as leaders is to influence our team to row in the same direction to achieve common goals -- and that’s only built through trust.

You’ve seen the action movies, read the books, and listened to the podcasts. Yes, today’s Veterans have accomplished quite a bit. From Special Operators to fearless convoy commanders, fighter pilots to submariners, everyone has an intense story that can inspire courage or render solemn silence.

They’ve walked the walk and talked the talk… we get it. But why doesn’t that translate well in the business world, especially when you’re looking for your next job? (And it’s happened to me quite often!)

A wise saying goes, “a leader without followers is just a man [or woman] taking a walk.” Leadership at its core, is the ability to influence. Said another way, Leadership is doing something to get others to follow, by choice.

Suicide is an epidemic. We’ve seen record numbers in the past decade and particularly in the past year. Check out these articles from the Army Times and Military.com. Yet, unfortunately, I really didn’t pay attention to any of it before Bobby.

I’ve had friends and fellow soldiers fall victim to these tragedies, but I felt that this was too large of a problem and was outside of my control. It was tragic to hear of these stories, but these were troubled people who needed professional assistance… right?

So this is your final mission: I challenge you with outreach. Go call a long-lost friend, a fellow Veteran, or someone in need. Be there for them, lend them your ear, and be your brother’s or sister’s keeper. Perhaps you can also help connect them to professional services if needed.

When I was transitioning out of the Army in late 2013, I was lucky enough to be offered a role in the APi Group’s Leadership Development Program (LDP); this program kick-started my career into the private sector. APi Group is a construction holding company that focuses in the energy, life safety, infrastructure, and specialty construction sectors all over the country. The company is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and has a unique mantra and strategy for success – it focuses on Building Great Leaders™. As primarily a growth through acquisition company, the year-long LDP is APi Group’s solution to feed its acquired companies with proven leaders, many with backgrounds from the US military.