Retired Major General Matt Smith shares candid lessons on leading through combat, crisis response, civil unrest, and personal trials at the highest levels of Army command.

In this episode of Moments in Leadership, I sit down with retired Major General Matt Smith, US Army, to reflect on the leadership lessons earned over a three-decade career in uniform. From commanding troops in Afghanistan to steering large organizations through hurricanes, civil unrest, and the COVID-19 pandemic, General Smith’s story is one of resilience, adaptability, and character.

We discuss the weight of command at scale, the challenges of shifting from tactical to executive leadership, and the cultural differences between active duty and National Guard formations. General Smith also shares raw insights from the Pentagon during crises like Black Lives Matter protests, January 6th, and the early days of COVID, offering a rare look inside the Army’s decision-making under pressure.

Later in the conversation, he opens up about the personal strain of being under investigation while still in command — and the moral courage it took to stay focused on his people, his duty, and the institution. His advice on composure, trust, and standards will resonate with leaders across every profession.

Finally, we explore his new mission leading the Master in Business for Veterans program at Emory University, helping seasoned enlisted and officers translate their military leadership into business success.

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LtCol (Col Sel) Cameron McCoy, Marine veteran, historian, and author of Contested Valor, shares leadership lessons from his service, academic career, and research into race and representation in the Marine Corps.

In this episode of Moments in Leadership, host David B. Armstrong sits down with LtCol Cameron McCoy, a Marine veteran, historian, and author of Contested Valor: African American Marines in the Age of Power, Protest, and Tokenism. LtCol McCoy’s journey spans combat deployments, leadership in academia, and a distinguished research career focused on the untold stories of African American Marines.

Dave and Cameron first met during a Reserve ITX event and reconnected after Dave read Contested Valor. Their conversation blends personal experience with historical analysis, offering listeners a candid look at leadership in the face of complex issues—including race, representation, and institutional change.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How military service shaped LtCol McCoy’s leadership philosophy

• Leadership lessons from addressing race and representation in the Marine Corps

• The challenges of researching and telling underrecognized histories

• The parallels between leading in combat and leading in academia

• Why adaptability, empathy, and historical perspective matter for leaders today

Whether you’re a student of history, a leader in uniform, or someone committed to equity and inclusion, this episode offers practical wisdom and thought-provoking perspectives.

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🎙 Support this project on Supercast: Moments In Leadership Supercast
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Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer shares how failure, realism in training, and ruthless self-assessment shaped his leadership journey and what the Army must do now to prepare for tomorrow. In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer joins Moments in Leadership to talk about what it truly takes to lead in today’s military—and why the journey never ends. From his early days as a driven, overconfident PFC to becoming the Army’s senior enlisted leader, SMA Weimer reflects candidly on his own formative moments, including failure during pre-scuba and the lessons that followed. He offers real talk on leadership, humility, building trust with junior leaders, and why “empathy isn’t soft—it’s tactical.”

We dive deep into what makes leadership in special operations uniquely difficult, the myth of the “gold-plated lesson,” and the difference between mission command and micromanagement. You’ll hear his take on complacency, the pitfalls of artificial readiness, and what leaders can do—right now—to reclaim white space, raise standards, and forge the kind of disciplined, lethal teams the future demands.

This is a must-listen episode for anyone serious about servant leadership, readiness, and building winning teams.

Support the Show & Stay Connected:
🎙️ Support this project on Supercast: Moments In Leadership Supercast
🌐 Visit the Moments in Leadership website: https://bit.ly/3SA2XHe
📷 Follow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3eO4kTi
📩 Email the show: themiloffice@gmail.com

Resources:
"Combat Doesn’t Care: How Ready Are You?" By 17th Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer