Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This episode of Teach Me to Fish features Major Michael Kim, a U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer (formerly an Infantry Officer), discussing the intersection of culture, trust, and combat power in leadership. Drawing from his time in Tiger Company and his experiences on brigade staff, he reflects on how authentic leadership and teamwork are foundational to unit success. Key Takeaways & Lessons: The Power of Informal Leadership: Major Kim highlights that a leader's attitude is infectious. After a moment of professional regret involving an unauthorized "zonk" during a brigade run (53:30 - 58:20), he learned to wield his influence carefully to foster loyalty and trust toward commanders.Staff Work as Morale Builder: Contrary to the belief that staff work isn't "sexy," he explains how well-executed, thorough staff planning directly impacts soldier morale and training efficiency (0:47 - 1:05, 50:45 - 53:00).Teamwork as a Force Multiplier: He emphasizes the importance of prioritizing the group's success over personal gain, citing his experience on brigade staff where peers went out of their way to mentor and rehearse one another for success (2:43 - 3:26, 103:32 - 104:40).Empowering Lower Echelons: To build readiness, leaders must avoid over-centralizing control. He advocates for empowering team and squad leaders to take ownership of training, noting that leaders must be willing to "pay the price" of their time and effort to support their people (1:16:11 - 1:17:15, 126:22 - 127:14).Servant Leadership: Major Kim’s mantra—"I’ll pick up the phone no matter what"—symbolizes his commitment to being a reliable teammate and leader, willing to sacrifice his own comfort to support those he serves (11:27 - 13:20).The Importance of Context: A significant point of advice for senior leaders is to provide context. He explains that junior leaders and soldiers often don't understand the "why" behind orders unless senior leaders explicitly share the purpose and intent behind their decisions (133:40 - 134:06, 142:43 - 144:03).Major Kim also shares his emotional journey of transitioning from the infantry to a Foreign Area Officer, describing it as a difficult "breakup" that forced him to reflect on the balance between his commitment to the Army and his family life. MAJ Kim is a U.S. Army Foreign Area Officer serving at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan. MAJ Kim is conducting In-Region Training where he is building regional expertise in military, political, economic, and cultural dynamics throughout the United States Central Command area of responsibility. He supports CENTCOM operational objectives by participating in joint and international military exercises, coordinating senior leader visits, assisting DAO activities as required, and representing DoD equities in a U.S. Embassy environment. Michael was born and raised in Katy, Texas. He joined the Army in May 2014 after graduating from the United States Military Academy as an Infantry Officer, where he received degrees in both Economics and Operations Research. His first assignment was 4th Brigade 25th Infantry Division (Airborne), where he held a variety of positions: Dismounted PL, Heavy Weapons PL, Reconnaissance PL, HHC XO, and Assistant S3. During this time, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Why Teach Me to Fish? Catch someone a fish, feed them for a day. Teach them to fish, feed their family for life. Our purpose is to help Leaders better understand what drives People to serve. In any organization, the core of recruiting and retaining talent revolves around leadership. And not just average leadership, but motivated, values-based, inspirational leadership. Our Pursuit here is to get a little bit better every day. Progress = Small Victories and stacking habits. Habits like Getting up early, working your butt off, learning something new, Being positive and Surrounding yourself with phenomenal People. Thanks for investing some time for yourself and thinking about the kind of People and experiences in your life that inspire you to be the best version of yourself. I hope these conversations spark some ideas on what you can do to inspire People too. Instagram Link - https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ALde1yH5v/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Facebook Link - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553842772462
