The ALx Bulletin March 2024
Extending Influence: #MarchMasters Competitors Set the Example
Extending influence requires you to proactively impact people beyond your current organization. It involves actively engaging with and affecting decisions, opinions, or actions of others in your Army, community, or society at large. You can achieve this through various means such as building positive relationships, thought leadership, and collaboration. Extending your influence often entails building credibility, fostering relationships, and consistently demonstrating expertise or value in your field.
Useful ways to execute this include creating social media content, blogging/vlogging, podcasting, guest speaking, and mentorship. We created #MarchMasters to recognize the organizations and individuals that contribute to the profession through these means. Check out their content below and follow us on social media to vote for your favorite creators.
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Execute Today [Content You Can Use Immediately]
Your ability to communicate is a key driving factor in extending influence. Check out this advice on how to improve your communication skills to meet your personal and professional goals.
Extending influence requires you to develop professional candor. One way to develop this skill is through writing. Learn how to write an opinion piece from this Modern War Institute article.
“Our words matter.” So, we should communicate with intention. Let this twenty-minute podcast from 3x5 Leadership will give you 10 ways to use your words more intentionally.
Building a training plan and effectively using the systems in place helps expand your influence across the organization. There are now new connections between training tools to help you wisely use your time to develop training plans and share information.
Trying to figure out how you can improve upon your ability to extend influence? Check out the Leader Development Improvement Guide from the Center for Army Leadership to help you create and communicate a common vision.
Quick-Fire Observation Portal. The Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) developed a "Quick- Fire" Observation tool to provide Soldiers and units a readily accessible method to upload, share, and discuss lessons observed during operations and training.
Prepare For Tomorrow [Content to Improve Your Organization]
Extending your influence requires adapting to the conditions of the situation. Technology is providing a period of rapid change and development. Developing the skills necessary to understand Data-Centric Warfare and remain relevant are key to developing your influence.
Was the point you were trying to make lost in translation? Getting Your Message Across focuses on what it means to have effective communication and how we can foster an environment of communication within our organizations.
Relationships matter. It doesn’t matter if you are in a platoon or on corps staff, relationships matter. The relationships you build, and foster can have a large impact on your organization’s success.
Focus on these factors when you are building your relationships and extending your influence.
Building credibility and demonstrating expertise is critical to the profession. The Army’s systems of expertise, accountability, and responsibility build competent and committed professionals of character. It is our obligation to continually work towards strengthening the profession.
Learn Always [Content to Help You Think]
Extending your influence doesn’t just apply to individuals. Check out this episode of the Modern War Institute’s Social Science of War podcast and how the United States military utilizes its influence to shape the environment in strategic competition.
Increase your ability to have an impact. The Indigenous Approach podcast discusses creativity, leadership and training your brain.
Want to learn about AI and emerging technology? The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office has partnered with MIT Horizon and Digital University (DU) to provide trusted content about emerging technology and innovation affecting national security. Register today to access the exclusive learning resources using your .mil or .civ email.
Get Involved: [Opportunities for YOU to Drive Change]
Anyone Can Write for Military Publications—Even Cadets. “Military writing can be, is, and should be a collective experience by and for servicemembers of all stripes, for the benefit of others and stewardship of the profession. There is no benchmark to entry.”
LTG (Ret) James M. Dubik Writing Fellows Program. Army University Press has established a voluntary, non-resident writing fellowship program to encourage military professional writing and discourse on topics that contribute to the community of military and national security professionals.
Wicked Problems Writing Contest. The Army Mad Scientist is hosting a writing contest to explore the impacts of innovations in asymmetric warfare on large scale combat operations and other combat operations. Anyone can participate and all entries are due by the 16th of May.
Help make a difference. SMA (R) Grinston sits down with It's A Blast Podcast and talks about the Army Emergency Relief (AER) campaign and it impacts it has on service members and their families along with what leaders can do to help prevent suicide.