2018 was a great year for The Field Grade Leader. Our community experienced substantial growth with 90,000 visitors to the website as well as engagement with over 9,000 leaders on social media.

The blog continued to evolve with several focused series and numerous guest posts. Here’s a recap of the top 8 posts from 2018 based on social media engagement and website hits:

The SAMS Field Grade Experience by James Bithorn 
Are you interested in attending SAMS, either immediately following CGSC or as a field select (post-KD time)? Check out this article where a successful Brigade Executive Officer reflects on how the lessons he learned in the course impacted his performance in key jobs.

 

One of our favorite initiatives this year was Graduation Week, a series focused on those leaders departing military schools and heading back to the operational Army. It is no surprise that 2 top posts came from this series.

Middle Management in the Trenches by Teddy Kleisner

The Professional Checklist by Aaron Childers

 

Another great initiative and discussion was on the topic of balance, a controversial yet essential facet of success as an organizational leader. Here’s the top article from the series:

Work-Life Balance is not an Equal Distribution by Dave Wright

 

How to Fail as a Major by Terron Wharton

In this article, Terron provides 4 guaranteed paths to failure based on his experience as an organizational leader at Fort Bliss. His advice resonated as over 16,000 people read the article. 

 

Pro Travel Like a Pro by Josh Powers

Temporary Duty, the military equivalent of business travel, can become overwhelming if you’re not adequately prepared. This article gives a handful of tips, tricks, and products that can help set conditions for effectiveness on the road.

 

The Outlook Inbox by The Army Leader

Time management is imperative for success, but an over-loaded or poorly managed inbox can be kryptonite to even the most effective leader. This article is a great start point for organizing and managing your inbox.

 

The Eight Essential Characteristics of Officership by Nate Player

Finally, we were happy to host the beginning of Nate Player’s series, The Eight Essential Characteristics of Officership. This series could serve as the centerpiece for junior officer self-development and is a great refresher for more senior leaders.

Thanks for being part of this team. We look forward to providing more good content in 2019. Happy New Year from The Field Grade Leader!