Welcome to The Field Grade Leader, a blog focused on organizational leadership based on experience in the United States Army.

Field Grade Officer Defined: A senior military officer in the rank of Major, Lieutenant Colonel, or Colonel.

This page is for anyone, civilian or military, who is interested in improving themselves as a leader and a professional. In the Army, we earn our reputation leading small units in challenging situations. As a Company Grade Officer (Lieutenant to Captain), I served with the very best warriors during training for combat as well as operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. I learned a lot during these formative years, but was still exceptionally challenged during my transition to Field Grade Leadership.

In the Army, Field Grade Officers (Majors, Lieutenant Colonels, and Colonels) require a diverse skill set to succeed. Building on the foundation they learned as junior officers, Field Grade Leaders are placed in challenging jobs where they lead and influence massive organizations, Their ability to plan, prioritize, and manage systems can enable success or lead to catastrophic failure.

This forum serves as a repository of key thoughts for organizational leaders. Though the forum is based on my experience and failure, it now incorporates diverse perspectives and opinions.

So where do you go from here? Check out these articles from the early days of the Field Grade Leader:

Our first article, Your Field Grade In Brief, provides a quick snapshot of what it takes to be successful as a new Field Grade Officer in any position. The article focuses on the advice the XO and I would give new majors upon arrival to our Brigade Combat Team. Simply put, successful organizational leaders have a positive and objective attitude, buy into the success of the greater organization, solve problems, and choose their battles wisely.

In this article, The Science and Art of Being a Major, we describe some key aspects of organizational leadership that leaders must master as their responsibility expands. Successful organizational leaders focus on systems and use their time effectively to focus on the things that truly matter.