Oct 26, 2022
Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz
retired from the U.S. Army after 33 years. A career Special Forces
Officer, Mark served in a multitude of command and staff
assignments, including the United States Security Coordinator of
the Israel-Palestinian Authority. In this interview, Mark reveals
the importance of having the right advocates in your corner. Mark
shares his advice for young leaders, women leaders, and others on
being intentional and deliberate with how they approach their
careers.
https://bit.ly/TLP-330
Key Takeaways
[3:10] Mark is pleased to be
back in his home state of Colorado. Now that he is retired and has
the opportunity to speak to civil society, he is focused on
advocacy for women in leadership.
[4:28] Strategic influence and
influence at the local level come from having the right advocates
in your corner. Mark talks about the effects that suspending
diplomatic relations between the Trump administration and the
Palestinian Authority had in 2019. President Abbas had lost his
most important ally and his influence waned, while Netanyahu’s
influence increased.
[10:12] Mark learned from his
time in Israel that everyone wants a leader who is ethically sound
and has the character they want to emulate. It’s all about the
people you have the privilege to represent and lead. If you’re not
an example they’re proud of, people leave the organization and move
on to find other leaders they want to work for and work
with.
[13:38] Politics has entered the
business conversation. In the military, it is necessary to support
the administration, even though the oath is to the U.S.
Constitution, not to an administration. In the military, you can
voice your opposition at every election. Mark recommends following
thbusiness practice: use your voice at the ballot box, not at work,
to avoid some real challenges in the workplace.
[17:58] Loosely-bonded political
alliances are essential. Mark illustrates that point with his first
joint task at NATO leading the ground planning for a NATO mission
expansion in Afghanistan. It was a very educational experience to
learn the importance of inclusion. It applies also to businesses.
Not everybody is going to get what they want but the voice of the
collective body is powerful.
[22:33] Empathy at the staff and
HQ levels for your coalition partners is an important aspect of
success. You are representing your nation’s interests, but you
respect the caveats and interests of others.
[26:18] In speaking of
developing leadership, Mark describes an event along the Pakistani
border that turned a situation from tactical to strategic quickly,
for over six months. Mark was on mid-tour leave, but he called his
commander to see if he was needed. He was told that someone he had
helped develop had the situation in hand. The young operations
officer managed a report to generals remarkably well.
[29:27] Mark shares a model for
advocacy for women in the military and business. The talent between
men and women is similar. Merit is the most important factor. If
you aren’t consciously creating opportunities for fair and equal
competition for promotion or strategic-level leadership, you let
some of your best folks go. Consider the propensity to serve. Keep
the standards consistent.
[33:51] People appreciate candid
and honest feedback. All candidates are not equal. If someone is
not qualified, you owe them that feedback to let them know why.
Some preconceptions still exist. On one occasion, Mark explained to
a female staff member that he was going to a well-qualified female
executive officer to make an important statement to the
command.
[36:38] When the Berlin
wall came down in 1989, Mark thought that peace was almost here.
There are still conflicts. Success against conflict comes through
will and resolve, as Ukraine is showing the world. Mark talks about
the Taliban taking over Afghanistan. As a nation, we need to
understand the psyche of a country and determine what is
achievable.
[40:10] Mark discusses
negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, and why the
Palestinians’ determination not to participate in any normalization
dialog didn’t help them. Mark sees opportunities to work privately
to create a better environment for the civil society of both
Israelis and Palestinians. Mark offers suggestions of steps to take
to get on track to reduce the levels of violence and
tensions.
[45:23] Mark’s advice for young
businesspeople with leadership aspirations is to focus on doing the
best you can on the job you have. Build your core competencies.
After three to five years, make your desire to take on an
entry-level leadership responsibility known to your next-level
leadership. That could lead to getting a mentor or sponsor.
Management should be on the lookout for bright women and
men.
[47:03] After you get your first
leadership position, you will run into a lot of firsts. You will
want a mentor or advocate because you don’t always go to your boss
for help in dealing with things.
[47:53] If you desire to be a
leader and develop talent in your organization, you’ve got to
identify early those individuals that have the potential to mentor
you. The higher in the organization you are, the more important it
is to be mentored. As you move up to mid-management, that is when
most women stop rising in the organization. The C-Suite needs to
watch for women with merit to mentor.
[50:22] Mark is very grateful
not only to have had the opportunity to serve as an American
soldier but also to have had the support of the American people
throughout his career. That support is highly appreciated by
everybody who has served and who continues to serve.
[52:37] Closing quote:
“We sleep safe in our beds
because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on
those who would do us harm.” — George Orwell
Quotable Quotes
- “If you don’t have the right advocates in your
corner, it’s very hard to have any influence.” — Mark
- “It’s unfortunate when situations play out
where the military is viewed as being politicized. As a senior
leader in the military, it certainly disturbed me to see.” —
Mark
- “If you’re truly doing your job in terms of
talent and leader development, your responsibility is to advocate
for those that you see potential in and create opportunities and
provide advice, counsel, and sponsorship for those that deserve
it.” — Mark
- “There’s no other way [besides DEI that] we’re
going to balance equality across the workforce at every level.” —
Mark
- “If you desire to be a leader and you desire to
develop talent in your organization, you’ve got to identify early
those individuals that have that potential. And as you get more
senior, it becomes all the more important.” — Mark
Resources Mentioned