On this Memorial Day, I thought I would share one of my favorite poems. I read this at the closing of a speech once, entitled "Memorial Day: What it is and What it Means for All of Us." While it honors the fallen, it also sends a message, particularly in verses five...

The Army taught me a tremendous amount about leadership. Over the course of three decades in what felt like a constant leadership laboratory, I led, failed, learned, and grew from a tactical leader to a strategic one. I share these hard-earned lessons in my first...

SubscribeSign in Read in the Substack app Open app Weak Words and Weak Requests from Leaders Strong language builds stronger teams. Rob Campbell Leadership Jun 09, 2025 ∙ Paid 1 Weak Words A former boss of mine presented this concept of weak words to me, and to...

We have all received an out-of-office reply. Some of them are just right, some feel like they require us to send a sympathy card, and some just leave us wondering. I'm no authority on the "right" way to write an out-of-office reply, and I've left a few dumb ones in my...

The Go Get Your You Foundation, a woman- and service-disabled veteran-owned 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is proud to host the 5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration: African Attire Gala – Cookout Edition on Wednesday June 19, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Freewoods Farm in...

There are a few instances where leaders find themselves in this position. If a wholesale replacement of leadership in a company happens, there may be a body of people whose loyalty left with the old regime. Following a beloved leader is another. One might even...

I’m a product of the countless leaders I encountered in my military career. I watched all of them intently, copied methods and words which worked, and discarded things which did not. I never found the perfect leader. One does not exist. But I took away all the good,...

What Does It Mean to "Borrow Trouble"? Borrowing trouble means taking on or meddling with someone else's problem. It often happens for two main reasons: A leader is compassionate and wants to prevent suffering. A leader knows how they want something done and can't...

I’m stealing an old adage from the Army. As a young officer, I attended Ranger School and was awarded the Ranger tab, a patch I could forever wear on my left shoulder, indicating this accomplishment. Alongside serving in combat, it was the toughest thing I’ve ever...

In Henry Kissinger's book, Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy, Kissinger labels French President Charles de Gaulle a "master of circumstance" for the way he seized the moment when it appeared, using it for both personal leadership and national purpose. How...

“Facing difficulties is inevitable. Learning from them is optional.” John Maxwell In over three decades of leadership, I’ve had more leaders than I can recall. Some were great. Some were horrible. I learned from all of them and I’m a better leader because of all...

"If there is alignment among stakeholders, values, and actions, we have the agency to make things happen.” Roger Spitz In one of my keynote speeches titled, “Are You Veteran Friendly or Veteran Ready,” I share the value of hiring veterans – “the ability to engage...

In the fall of 2013, I was an Army Colonel in command of an infantry brigade, a large organization nearing 5,000 people. Though I had a ton of authority, I still had a boss. One of my senior officers approached me to ask if I would promote him to Colonel. It was...

During challenging times, many organizations pull back on visibility efforts—but history has shown that the businesses that remain in front of their audience emerge stronger. Staying visible isn’t just about maintaining brand awareness; it’s about sustaining trust,...

“To communicate effectively is to bridge the gap between perception and reality.” Mark Thompson “What just happened?” “Is Laura going to get fired?” “Is the business going under?” “Did the recent company policy happen because the CEO believes we are not bought...