Izaguirre: Leadership Begins with Humility

[rangerrebew]

Izaguirre: Leadership Begins with Humility


Wed, 07/09/2025 - 08:44

Effective Army leaders understand that there is strength in vulnerability, the 46th Army surgeon general said during a recent episode of the From the Green Notebook podcast.

“When you’re talking about that seeming contradiction between vulnerability and strength as a leader, ... we sometimes confuse the word vulnerability with weakness,” Lt. Gen. Mary Izaguirre said. “If you're strong enough and comfortable enough in your own skin, then you have the strength to be vulnerable, and then others can be vulnerable, … and that's where the magic happens.”

Strong leadership is critical in Army medicine, which has the sacred mission of ensuring that no matter where soldiers are in the world, “they've got the best medical care with them, shoulder to shoulder on the battlefield,” Izaguirre said.

As a leader, maintaining curiosity is essential to understanding the broader picture, Izaguirre said.

https://www.ausa.org/news/izaguirre-leadership-begins-humility

[rangerrebew]

My second CO of the carrier I was on, started as an E-1.  19 years later, he was in command of the ship.  He was tough as nails but as fair as skies with no clouds.  Shortly after his arrival he went, unannounced, to the chow line for the enlisted guys and shuffled along like everyone else for an hour.  When he got to the serving area, he called the commissary officer over and told him to get that shit off the serving line, the food had better be better that evening, and never was anyone to spend an hour waiting to be fed; they needed to be working.  The changes were instantaneous.  This was a guy to be feared, respected, and to give your all for.