X
At time of recorded interview (January 2017), LTG H.R. McMaster served as the Director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) and Deputy Commanding General, Futures of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. He then went on to serve as the U.S. National Security advisor in March 2017. He has also previously served as Commanding General at the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Commander of the Combined Joint Inter¬Agency Task Force-Shafafiyat in Kabul, Afghanistan. He is known for playing significant roles in several overseas military operations, including the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. LTG McMaster's military education and training includes the Airborne and Ranger Schools, Armor Officer Basic and Career Courses, the Cavalry Leaders Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a U.S. Army War College fellowship at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace. He holds a Ph.D. in American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Role at time of video recording: Director of Army Capabilities Integration Center
Date of recording: January 2017
Expert Perspectives - Bios
Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster, Ph.D.
At time of recorded interview (January 2017), LTG H.R. McMaster served as the Director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) and Deputy Commanding General, Futures of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. He then went on to serve as the U.S. National Security advisor in March 2017. He has also previously served as Commanding General at the Maneuver Center of Excellence and Commander of the Combined Joint Inter¬Agency Task Force-Shafafiyat in Kabul, Afghanistan. He is known for playing significant roles in several overseas military operations, including the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. LTG McMaster's military education and training includes the Airborne and Ranger Schools, Armor Officer Basic and Career Courses, the Cavalry Leaders Course, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and a U.S. Army War College fellowship at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace. He holds a Ph.D. in American History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Role at time of video recording: Director of Army Capabilities Integration Center
Date of recording: January 2017
X
At time of recorded interview, COL Paula Lodi served as the Commander of the 44th Medical Brigade, Ft. Bragg, NC. She has 26 years of service in the U.S. Army, specializing in healthcare operations and multifunctional logistics. Her previous assignments include the Army staff at the Pentagon and Commander of the Special Troops Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade. She is a veteran of three tours in Iraq where she served as a Corps-level Operational Planner and as Executive Officer for a medical task force. Her service has also included humanitarian missions Operation Provide Comfort during the Gulf War and Hurricane Katrina relief. She holds Masters degrees in Military Operational Art and Science from the School of Advanced Military Studies, in National Security Policy Studies from the Naval War College, and in Public Administration from Troy University.
Role at time of video recording: Commander of the 44th Medical Brigade
Date of recording: February 2017
Expert Perspectives - Bios
Colonel Paula Lodi
At time of recorded interview, COL Paula Lodi served as the Commander of the 44th Medical Brigade, Ft. Bragg, NC. She has 26 years of service in the U.S. Army, specializing in healthcare operations and multifunctional logistics. Her previous assignments include the Army staff at the Pentagon and Commander of the Special Troops Battalion, 15th Sustainment Brigade. She is a veteran of three tours in Iraq where she served as a Corps-level Operational Planner and as Executive Officer for a medical task force. Her service has also included humanitarian missions Operation Provide Comfort during the Gulf War and Hurricane Katrina relief. She holds Masters degrees in Military Operational Art and Science from the School of Advanced Military Studies, in National Security Policy Studies from the Naval War College, and in Public Administration from Troy University.
Role at time of video recording: Commander of the 44th Medical Brigade
Date of recording: February 2017
X
Jim Greer is a Retired Army Colonel, serving 30 years in CONUS, Europe and the Middle East, including combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, and the Balkans. COL Greer (ret.) commanded an infantry-heavy battalion task force in Bosnia, led the Operation Iraqi Freedom Study Group in the invasion of Iraq, was Chief of Staff of MNSTC-I and commanded 1st Armor Training Brigade. He played a significant role in Army transformation for Force XXI digitization and the Objective Force, was the Army’s representative to DOD’s Revolution in Military Affairs and led the transformation of Initial Entry Training from a Cold War paradigm to one that prepared Soldiers for 21st Century combat. An educator and trainer, he taught tactics at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was the Director of the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). COL (ret.) Greer’s military and training education includes a B.S. from West Point, an M.S. in Educational Consulting at Long Island University, an M.S. in National Security from National War College, and a Ph.D. in Education from Walden University.
Role at time of video recording: VP, Center for Senior Leadership & Design, Abrams Learning & Information Systems, Inc.
Date of recording: November 2016
Expert Perspectives - Bios
Colonel (Ret.) Jim Greer, Ph.D.
Jim Greer is a Retired Army Colonel, serving 30 years in CONUS, Europe and the Middle East, including combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, and the Balkans. COL Greer (ret.) commanded an infantry-heavy battalion task force in Bosnia, led the Operation Iraqi Freedom Study Group in the invasion of Iraq, was Chief of Staff of MNSTC-I and commanded 1st Armor Training Brigade. He played a significant role in Army transformation for Force XXI digitization and the Objective Force, was the Army’s representative to DOD’s Revolution in Military Affairs and led the transformation of Initial Entry Training from a Cold War paradigm to one that prepared Soldiers for 21st Century combat. An educator and trainer, he taught tactics at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and was the Director of the School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). COL (ret.) Greer’s military and training education includes a B.S. from West Point, an M.S. in Educational Consulting at Long Island University, an M.S. in National Security from National War College, and a Ph.D. in Education from Walden University.
Role at time of video recording: VP, Center for Senior Leadership & Design, Abrams Learning & Information Systems, Inc.
Date of recording: November 2016
EXPERT PERSPECTIVE: VIDEOS
Bios
Click a featured expert below to view their bio.
Video Library
Filter on expert OR topic OR exercise
Expert:Topic:
Exercise:
Why strategic thinking skills are important for Army leaders (McMaster)
Connection between strategic thinking and strategic level (McMaster)
Why practice is important for skill-building (McMaster)
Why asking questions is important for systems thinking (McMaster)
Why reflection is important (1) (McMaster)
Value of “Reflecting on Experience” exercise (McMaster)
Using reflective thinking to establish a common vision (McMaster)
Value of diverse perspectives (McMaster)
Why reflection is important (2) (McMaster)
Why asking powerful questions is important (McMaster)
Why broad information seeking is important (McMaster)
Value of “Asking Powerful Questions” exercise (McMaster)
Strategies for defining problems (McMaster)
Complex problems as non-linear (McMaster)
Continuous assessment and adaptability (McMaster)
Why systems thinking is important (McMaster)
Value of “Telling a Story” exercise (McMaster)
Strategies for thinking holistically (McMaster)
The tendency to over-simplify (McMaster)
Identifying connections (McMaster)
Why is thinking in time important (1) (McMaster)
Why is thinking in time important (2) (McMaster)
Making grounded projections into the future (McMaster)
Value of “Envisioning Potential Futures” exercise (McMaster)
Overcoming challenges of reflective thinking (McMaster)
Developing strategic thinking skills over time (McMaster)Why junior leaders need strategic thinking skills (McMaster)
Connection between strategic thinking and strategic level (Lodi)
How I use reflective thinking in my work (Lodi)
Why it’s important to reflect as a group (Lodi)
Why it’s important to reflect before and during events, not just after (Lodi)
How reflective thinking has helped me (Lodi)
How we use reflective thinking to learn via AARs (Lodi)
Why asking questions is important (Lodi)
Creating a culture of questioning (Lodi)
Why broad information seeking is important (Lodi)
The questions an expert would ask: Demo (Lodi)
Identifying Connections (Lodi)
Drawing to visualize complex problems (Lodi)
Importance of building advanced cognitive skills early in one’s career (Lodi)
Connection between strategic thinking and strategic level (Greer)
Why practice is important for skill-building (Greer)
How I use reflective thinking in my work (Greer)
Why reflection is important (1) (Greer)
Why it’s important to reflect before and during events (Greer)
The importance of getting to why (Greer)
Why it’s important to reflect as a group (Greer)
Why reflection is important (2) (Greer)
Strategies for reflective thinking (Greer)
Why asking questions is important (Greer)
Why broad information seeking is important 1 (Greer)
Why broad information seeking is important 2 (Greer)
Tactical vs. strategic questions 1 (Greer)
Tactical vs. strategic questions 2 (Greer)
Facing Complex Problems (Greer)
Strategies for questioning (Greer)
Importance of asking a variety of questions (Greer)
The questions an expert would ask: Demo (Greer)
The information an expert would seek (Greer)
Why systems thinking is important (Greer)
Value of “Telling a Story” exercise (Greer)
Developing systems thinking skills 2 (Greer)
Strategies for thinking holistically (Greer)
Importance of visual thinking (Greer)
Developing Systems Thinking Skills 1 (Greer)
An example of thinking ahead (Greer)
The Janus Cone technique (Greer)
Considering trends and discontinuities 1 (Greer)
Considering trends and discontinuities 2 (Greer)
How an expert ties give images together: Demo (Greer)
How an expert adapts his understanding when presented with new images: Demo (Greer)
