DC Velocity - June 2011

thoughtleaders LT. GEN. CLAUDE CHRISTIANSON

You don’t have to have a military command and control structure to do that. In fact, a rigid hierarchical structure may in some ways impede mission accomplishment by limiting collaboration and creative thought.

you have and learn as much as you can from each of them. Look around you, and pay special attention to what your subordinates see, know, and do. Every job offers remarkable potential—except, of course, my current one. [Editor’s note: Gen. Christianson smiles and chuckles.]

QHow did you end up here? What insights can we gain as logisticians from your experience?

AI’vebeen blessedthroughout mycareer with the opportunity to work with exceptional people from all walks of life and professional disciplines. Personally, I was also very lucky to have done things that Army officers were, at one time, told not to do. One of those “no-nos” was to teach ROTC. The second was to serve a tour with the reserve components, where I spent three years. At the time, those two assignments were pretty much considered a death knell for one’s career. But as I got older, those two assignments helped me understand important things that, had I not had those assignments, probably would have made my jobs a lot more difficult as I got to more senior positions.

My advice to younger officers and leaders—which at this point is just about everyone—is to work hard at every job

QIs there anything else in your career path that helped you be successful? AI’ve had lots of foreign exposure, almost 20 years outside of the continental United States during my 37 years in uniform. That has helped me immensely to develop a deeper understanding of how to work with people who don’t think like you do, don’t do things like you do, and don’t share the same sense of priorities.

My exposure to peoples and cultures that did not share the same perspective as I did helped to build a deeper understanding of alternative views. Spending lots of time in places like Thailand, Korea, Germany, Italy, and the Middle East gave me a much broader look at my profession. My combat experiences in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Iraq were also very important. I think all of those things— when blended together—have given me what might be considered an eclectic career path. However, from an intellectual