I had the chance to lead a leadership workshop at the United States Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, South Korea.
This was my first chance to work with the military, though I felt particularly motivated after lunch with Frances Hesselbein last summer, who has worked with West Point and the White House for decades and holds many there in the highest regard, and after interacting with an NYU-based project with the New York Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs to teach entrepreneurship to returning veterans.
I was gratified to see the dedication among the troops and to interact directly with the different culture. It’s as bureaucratic and stratified as any large company, but different in a way I can’t immediately put my finger on. For one thing, when a Colonel talked, everybody listened. The enlisted men sat at attention like no seminar attendees I’d seen before. Still, everyone relished being informal when they could, and they seemed to share a familiarity that probably came from common experiences.
Anyway, I wanted to share some pictures. The event seemed informal because it was in a common area, but it was for the “Officers In Charge,” including two Colonels, at least one Major, and others of what seemed high rank, the audience felt more attentive than I’m used to, which made it enjoyable for me.

I hope they got as much out of it as I did. I think they did, because one of them referred me to the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth. We’ll see what comes of it.