Personal Leadership: the Perspective of an MSU Registrar

My leadership journey began as an intelligence analyst and paratrooper in the U.S. Army. Why a paratrooper? What 17-year old from Roundup, Montana could turn down an extra $100 per month for hazardous pay?! The motto of the U.S. Military Intelligence Corps, ALWAYS OUT FRONT, is reflective of the forward location required for gathering intelligence information. The key, flash, and sphinx symbolize the fundamental categories of intelligence: human, signal, and tactical. The regimental insignia pictured above was worn on our Class A uniforms. Jumping Out of a Perfectly Good Airplane One of the most profound leadership lessons I’ve experienced took place at Ft. Benning, Georgia while attending Airborne School . Airborne school is an intense 3-week infantry school. A typical day started with physical training including 30-40 minutes of intense calisthenics, guerilla/grass drills and a 3.2 to 4 mile formation run, followed by 7 hours of rigorous training. Check out this 5-mi...

Something STINKS!… Moving Beyond Who and Why Expect the unexpected . Last week, my husband and I were on our way home from a late night walk with the dog. It was about 10:00 p.m. and we were walking through our small town’s historic cemetery, as it is directly on our routine walking route. Lexi, the beagle, made good use of her 220+ million scent receptors and the hound howl was well underway. He and the dog made their way off the main pathway, into the cemetery around the tombstones. A few minutes later, they returned - ushering in with them an offensive and nauseating odor. The skunk took a brief ride on Lexi’s back. Thankfully, she was able to shake it off quickly. The odor…not so much.  Two humans and one Beagle were left to deal with the situation at hand. Quick! Hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, dish washing soap, and tomato juice. Check. Let the 2-day cleansing process begin. Organized chaos is the new norm. As professionals, we are certain to encount...