In this work, Peter Singer and Emerson Brooking provide a frightening description of social media as a weapon system. The book provides numerous case studies showing the results of social media in conflict, including the rise of ISIS and Russian actions in Crimea. In today’s world, sources like Facebook and Twitter provide a constant stream of true and questionable information, shaping our realities and worldview. These vignettes all solidify the fact that social media and rapid information flow will continue to shape how we fight wars in the future. This book is for any leader who may step foot onto a future battlefield.
U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Keith James, 21 September 2018
It is a senior leader’s duty to mentor junior officers and prepare them to take the reins of the future force. The biggest challenge we face is where and how this mentorship will take place. Our most junior officers have been raised in an environment where social media and electronic messaging are the predominant methods of communication. While it will be imperative for senior leaders to gain confidence and competence in the digital realm, the possibility of mentorship ever becoming a solely electronic endeavor is something that should be discussed.
Colonel Raymond Kimball, author of, “The Army Officer’s Guide To Mentoring,” claims the transition to e-mentoring is logical due to the convenience of social media, the amount of time younger officers spend on these mediums, and the diminishing use of the O-club and squadron bars as centers of mentorship. To continue October’s theme of Digital Leadership, I reflected upon my e-mentorship experiences in the form of MyVector and Facebook and the effectiveness of each.
Australian Army soldier Private Ben Hale from 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, provides security at the airfield in the Townsville field training area during Exercise Brolga Run on 19 October 2016.
The debate still rages as to whether social media (SoMe) is a tool for good or evil within military circles. What’s not up for discussion anymore is whether it’s going to last. A recent study on Australians’ usage of SoMe indicates 80% of the population use it; 60% use it every day; 30% it’s the last thing they do at night before going to sleep; 13% use it while on the toilet. I’m totally comfortable with at least three of these stats, and I think we all recognise the numbers are way below the true figure for accessing the internet on the loo. For what it’s worth I’m firmly entrenched in the “good” camp, but recognize that just as there are huge opportunities for us, those opportunities also exist for our adversaries. Below I’d like to highlight what I think is one of the most important opportunities SoMe brings to the profession of arms; getting our people to replace funny cat videos with professional development as their main use of SoMe and how through a focus on this opportunity we also assist in building the counter-narrative to those who wish to use it for nefarious ends.
“Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things.” –Henry David Thoreau
Army digital Mission Command Systems (MCS) are supposed to increase efficiency by developing a common operational picture (COP) and improving situational awareness. However, they often produce the opposite: a false depiction that inhibits subordinate initiative as we fixate on systems at the expense of time, effort, and larger than necessary command posts. Unless we approach their use in a disciplined manner, judiciously applying when and how to utilize digital systems, even the best systems will create additional work, waste time, and inhibit Mission Command.
Imagine you find yourself in an austere wartime environment, newly appointed to lead a Joint Task Force (JTF). The bad guys look like civilians. You have never fought a war quite like this one, a decentralized one with no clear endstate. These are the conditions Army General Stan McChrystal faced when he took command of the Joint Special Operations Task Force in the Middle East. The enemy was a formidable, decentralized force able to reassemble themselves and make decisions when their leaders were not able to make real-time decisions for them.
Many of us in the field grade ranks may consider ourselves “digital natives,” the catch-all term for people who grew up with digital technology as an integral part of our daily lives. Some of us were undergrads when a new website called “The Facebook” went live in 2004. Shortly before (or after) we were commissioned, Apple launched a never-before-seen product called the iPhone. While we may not be true digital natives in the sense that we used those products every day as children, there’s no doubt that our youngest lieutenants and troops fall in that category. Digital natives or not, there is one fact none of us can deny: social media systems are transforming our culture in a rapid and unpredictable nature, and those changes are going to impact our forces just like every other cultural shift in our society’s history. When it comes to accepting those changes and integrating them into our daily operations, we have no choice but to engage.
June 28, 2012 – Photo by Staff Sgt. Brendan Mackie
Social media has grown so much that it inevitably bled over into the profession of arms. The majority of Soldiers have a social media account. There is no better opportunity to reach these young Soldiers on a more consistent level than using these platforms.
Social media provides everyone a platform and what we do with that platform is important. I have decided to use my platform to assist in the mentorship of the younger generation of Soldiers within the National Guard. As a Major in the Florida Army National Guard, I understand that I must transition from the role of mentee to mentor. I have always been fond of the benefits of social media and I believe it is a great way to facilitate digital leadership.
US Army photo by Spc. Christopher Brecht. March 10, 2017
Information moves faster than ever before in today’s age. The 24-hour news cycle and social media allow for instant publication from anyone with a computer. As leaders in this digital age, it is our responsibility to understand capabilities and limitations of information flow, understand that facts are becoming more distorted than ever, and acknowledge that newer generations are more inherently involved in technology than we are. I also believe that leaders must, at least topically, understand some of the new ideas and technologies that are being developed. A leader’s ability to evolve with the ever-changing landscape of the digital world is essential to our success.
Over the past few days, we’ve had a great social media discussion of email and maximizing the tools available in Microsoft Outlook. Developing personal systems enables you to control your inbox instead of letting it control you. This post captures the best tips and resources from this discussion.
First, we are proud to feature a guest post from The Army Leader titled The Outlook Inbox; Be the Master, Not the Slave. This post includes awesome insight based on the author’s professional experience. Check it out:
Over the past few days, I’ve made some adjustments to my system based on feedback from this forum. I am a huge fan of testing, refining, and iteratively adjusting personal systems (goals, email, task management, etc). I am still making tweaks to my Outlook inbox, but here are some of the best hacks I’ve discovered:
Over the past few days, I’ve made some adjustments to my system based on feedback from this forum. I am a huge fan of testing, refining, and iteratively adjusting personal systems (goals, email, task management, etc). I am still making tweaks to my Outlook inbox, but here are some of the best hacks I’ve discovered: