#73 Culture IS Combat Power, The Quiet Strength of Leaders who build Trust in the ranks. A conversation w/ Mike Kim @the_michaelkim

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, discussing how culture and trust serve as the foundation of combat power. Through his experiences as an Infantry Officer and later in specialized roles, Major Kim shares insights on leadership, teamwork, and the importance of servant leadership. Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:•⁠  ⁠The Power of Informal Leadership: (1:52) Major Kim emphasizes how infectious a leader's attitude can be within a formation and the necessity of wielding that influence carefully to build trust and loyalty to commanders.•⁠  ⁠Teamwork as a Force Multiplier: (2:52) High-performing teams are built when individuals prioritize the success of the group over personal achievements. Major Kim shares anecdotes about peers who went above and beyond for their teammates.•⁠  ⁠Vulnerability in Leadership: (10:18) The discussion highlights that authentic leadership involves opening up about struggles, failures, and difficult transitions (such as moving from the infantry to a new role) to foster genuine connections.•⁠  ⁠Building a Winning Culture: (1:02:57) Major Kim describes his time commanding Tiger Company, emphasizing the need to channel existing positive energy into a focused, high-performing unit.•⁠  ⁠Empowering Lower Echelons: (1:16:11) To build genuine readiness, leaders must empower squad leaders and team leaders to take ownership of training, rather than running everything from a higher level.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