#61: General (Ret.) Joseph Votel — On Confidence, Habits, and Culture

It’s truly an honor to bring General (Ret.) Joseph Votel on the Intentional Leader podcast for episode 61. On this episode, he gives us a masterclass on personal management and organizational leadership.

General Votel currently serves as President and CEO of Business Executives for National Security (BENS) – a national, nonprofit composed of senior business and industry executives who volunteer their time and expertise to assist the U.S. national security community.

He retired in 2019 after 39 years of military service. His last assignment was as the commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) from March 2016 to March 2019. As CENTCOM commander, Votel oversaw the United States' continued War on Terrorism in the Middle East, particularly the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve's fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant terror organization, which rose to prominence in 2014. General Votel officially retired on March 28, 2019, five days after the decisive Battle of Baghuz Fawqani, which saw the territorial collapse of the Islamic State in Syria. Before that, he served as commander of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

Votel's initial assignments were to the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany, where he served as a rifle platoon leader, executive officer, battalion adjutant, and rifle company commander. Following this tour, he was assigned to Headquarters, Allied Forces Southern Europe – Naples, Italy, and the NATO Peace Implementation Force (IFOR) in Sarajevo. He commanded the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry (Light) at Fort Drum, New York, and afterward, he commanded the 1st Ranger Battalion. Later he commanded the 75th Ranger Regiment, during Operation Enduring Freedom. On 19 October 2001, Votel led 200 Rangers from 3rd Battalion, who parachuted towards an airfield south of Kandahar in an operation known as Operation Rhino and attacked several Taliban targets.

As a general officer, Votel served in the Pentagon as the Director of the Army and Joint Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Defeat Task Force and subsequently as the Deputy Director of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization established under the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He also served as the Deputy Commanding General (Operations), 82nd Airborne Division / CJTF-82, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, and was subsequently assigned as the Deputy Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He next served as the Commanding General of the Joint Special Operations Command.

On this episode, we cover a lot of ground. We discuss the leaders he admires the most, some of the most important leadership lessons he learned from working with Secretary Jim Mattis, General (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal, and Admiral (Ret.) William McRaven, what he most looks for when hiring someone to join his team or organization, what is most unique about the Special Operations community that he has worked in for so long, how he stayed sharp over his 40 year career, and a lightning round of questions at the end.

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