![]() ![]() I said, “Ray, what is the biggest deficiency among our four stars today?” And without a moment's hesitation, General Odierno said, “Lack of reflection.” He said we're overly focused on getting things done, but we’re now at the very rank when we need to do the most reflection. The two of us were having dinner one night – I think I was the MARCENT Commander at that time and I'd been selected or nominated to go up to be a NATO Supreme Commander. He became the chief staff of the army and was the commander in Iraq. JM: Just to confirm the validity of your question, I was sitting with General Ray Odierno, rest in peace. MR: As a practical matter, how do you create that space for yourself so you're not always responding to the next email? You don't get sucked totally into the tyranny of the here and now and the “in” basket. In that role, you have to make certain you have lines of communication coming in that are quite broad in their own way. So I had someone whose primary job was to raise her hand and say, “No, that assumption is no longer the case.”Īs you try to plan ahead as a commander or Secretary of Defense, you try to look out for the person after next in your job, not just the next person. That’s because oftentimes the problem as you come to grips with an emerging threat is that due to the unknowns you've made certain assumptions. Her job was to be in every meeting, look broadly at what we would discuss, and also to challenge any assumptions we made. I also kept a member of the intelligence community with me for my last years as a four star and my time as Sec Def. A historical framework will allow you to ask the right questions of the real experts – people who've lived with the subjects for a long time. ![]() You have to engage the right people, and it also involves a lot of reading. and allied troops – you must take responsibility for your own personal understanding. Jim Mattis: As a leader – whether you're a second lieutenant in the infantry or you're a four star commanding 250,000 U.S. But as new threats emerge and evolve, how do you get up to speed and stay smart on them? Max Raskin: From your reading lists as a commander, it’s clear that you were concerned with terror and have lots of recommendations on Islam and the Middle East. ![]()
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