FORT BENNING, Ga., (May 20, 2015) -- Col. Robert Wilson, military assistant to the Secretary of the Army, visited the Maneuver Center of Excellence to share his views on the challenges associated with leading during uncertainty as part of the Combat Leader Speaker Program.
"How do you prepare yourself as a military officer for the world that you're going to operate in?" he said. "No matter how well we train, no matter how well we prepare, it's very difficult to predict the future. The future is going to be filled with dramatic change. We are going to have to lead in very different situations than what we prepared for."
Wilson discussed the importance of preparation, even with the knowledge that situations change as they are being studied. He included scenarios that he experienced during his time in the military - the evolution of the Internet and how groups like Anonymous use it for political statements, the creation of a drone by a few NCO'susing a 3D printer in Afghanistan and the continued fight of the war on terror, a war that was not even defined until years after it began.
"How do we build a foundation so we can succeed in that (kind of) environment?" Wilson said.
"You start with being very good at your job. People expect you to be an effective officer, NCO within your field. That's the very basis. It is important to be physically fit and to maintain that based on the amount of stress you'll be under. It's also extremely important to be a mass consumer of information, in your field and outside your field. If you have a 20-minute commute to work, you should be reading a newspaper or listening to news."
He encouraged the Soldiers to branch out from just one source, and to consume information from sources like Twitter, Foreign Affairs magazine and The Economist.
"Build networks of people who can solve problems - typically outside of your field but related to the same problems. Speak to academics, think tanks and journalists. Get a better understanding of the problem set. Build organizations that are filled with problem solvers. Things change so fast in this world that if you don't keep up with it, you will be left behind," he said.
Wilson also emphasized the importance of building up fellow Soldiers, both equals and subordinates.
"Take care of your people, empower them to achieve things, never be satisfied with the results and keep pushing people," he said. "If all they're relying on is your leadership and they're not contributing then you're not going to be as effective."
He concluded by reminding the Soldiers that they should always strive to be better.
"Never believe the hype about yourself. When you start to feel real comfortable with yourself, you need to get a second opinion. Never be satisfied and keep pushing forward; you owe that to your unit and to the country."
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