The Professional Soldier's Notebook: Lessons in Leadership, Reputation, and Life After Service

This edition is for the service member who has learned survival is not enough.

In the transition from battlefield to leadership, survival skills alone won't guarantee success. It's critical to recognize that personal and professional missteps can derail even the most promising careers.

COMMON PITFALLS:

• Financial Instability: Money troubles derail more careers than bullets. Poor financial choices lead to stress and poor performance.
• Relationship Failures: Ignoring family or making poor relationship decisions can distract leaders more than any enemy.
• Ego and Complacency: An unchecked ego and lack of self-discipline have ended the careers of many capable NCOs.
• Lack of Discipline: Small lapses in judgment and a failure to stick to professional standards can compound over time.

The lessons you learn won't always be dramatic in the moment.

But over the long haul, they become decisive.