From The Green Notebook Leading with Purpose: A Conversation with Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth
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The 25th Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth joins Joe for a candid conversation about leadership, self-awareness, and the evolving challenges of guiding the largest branch of the U.S. military. With over three decades of experience in national security, she shares her expectations for Army leaders, the importance of self-development, and why critical thinking and communication skills are essential for success at the highest levels.
Secretary Wormuth also highlights her strong support for the Army’s Command Assessment Program (CAP), emphasizing early self-development, the power of feedback, and the role of humility and reflection in building resilient leadership teams. She also stresses the importance of maintaining the Army's apolitical stance, fostering public trust, and ensuring continuity through times of change.
Topics Covered:
- The key attributes of effective Army leaders
- The role of the Command Assessment Program in shaping leadership
- Why feedback and reflection are crucial for personal growth
- Balancing professional and personal priorities over a long career
- Why military leaders need to remain apolitical and be non-combatants in the culture wars
Honorable Christine Wormuth was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and appointed as the 25th Secretary of the U.S. Army May 28, 2021. The Secretary of the Army is the senior civilian official within the Department of Defense responsible for all matters relating to the U.S. Army.
Prior to confirmation, she was the Director of the International Defense and Security Center at the RAND Corporation where she was a frequent writer and speaker on foreign policy, national security and homeland security issues.
Prior to RAND, she served in several roles during the Obama Administration. From December 2010 until August 2012 she was a special assistant to the president and senior director for Defense at the National Security Council. Wormuth then served as deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Forces, and led the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review. From 2014-2016 she served in DOD as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, where she advised the Secretary of Defense on the full range of regional and functional national security issues.
Wormuth entered the government as a Presidential Management Intern and began her public service career in the Policy Office of the Office of the Secretary of Defense from 1996 through 2002. After leaving government, she worked in the private sector on defense issues, and then was a Senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies for five years.
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