Oct 28, 2020
General Lori J. Robinson is the former Commander of NORAD and NORTHCOM.
Her selection made national news as she appeared on the cover of
Time Magazine as the first woman to lead a US Combatant Command.
Her 36-year military career is filled with remarkable
accomplishments at the highest levels of operations, diplomatic
engagement, and political coordination. Today, she dedicates
herself as a mentor to those seeking to better balance career
demands with personal and family responsibilities. General Robinson
shares her perspectives on transitioning from military life to
civilian, redefining the definition of servant leadership, and the
differences in responsibilities as a leader.
Key Takeaways
[3:10] Sometimes, people get
nervous around General Robinson, but as a leader, it’s your job to
make the room comfortable.
[6:30] General Robinson
recommends veterans take some time for themselves to
recover.
[16:15] When General Robinson
came home after work, it would take her an hour and a half just to
decompress because of everything that was going on. And when
General Robinson officially retired, it took her six months to
recover and to reflect on her personal life.
[20:15] Whether you’re a
commander or CEO, everyone has unique thoughts on how to get to the
end goal and it’s important as a leader just to listen to those
views and thoughts.
[22:15] When it comes to harmony
within the organization vs. healthy conflict, General Robinson sees
it differently. It boils down to what is the main goal and
objective we’re all trying to achieve, and how can we bring healthy
conversation into the fold to get there.
[26:30] Servant leadership
really could be redefined as supportive leadership. It’s not always
your job to do every task under the sun, but to actually support
and empower your team to do it themselves.
[31:00] You need to have a
conversation with your spouse about whose career comes first. For
General Robinson and her husband, it made the most sense for her
husband to leave his service after 17 years to join the reserves
and the private sector.
[33:55] If both of your careers
come first, then you need to set boundaries for how long you’re
willing to live apart. Have the conversation now before it becomes
an emotional one.
[43:55] Listener challenge: Be
true to yourself and say thanks every day.
Quotable Quotes
- “The
tone from the CEO about everybody having the same destination in
mind, listening to everybody, and bringing it together to make it
one company, it’s very doable.”
- “It’s
about being a part of something that’s bigger than yourself and
it’s not about you, it’s about the institution.”
- “I’m
certainly not the smartest person in the room. No matter what the
task at hand is, it’s important to listen to what experts have to
say, but at the end of the day, a decision has to be
made.”
- “I’m
so humbled and honored to have done and seen the things I did and
I’m grateful to the people who have given me the opportunities that
they did over my career.”
Resources Mentioned
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