“Book writing is very entrepreneurial and I believe more people have books inside of them, especially veterans.” Rob Campbell

Regardless of the context and nature of change, to have persistent optimism when facing change is not very easy. Nevertheless, being adaptable is an attribute that comes with many benefits to be gained. Our guest today Rob Campbell has extensive experience on handling change both at an individual and organizational level and says that it all entails embracing flexibility and being adaptable.

Rob Campbell is a husband, father, author, and entrepreneur. Rob began a career in the Army as an infantry officer in 1990. He served in a variety of command and staff positions in a career spanning 27 years. His culminating assignment was command of an infantry brigade in the 101st Airborne Division. Rob retired in 2016, wrote a book on leadership and founded his own speaking and consulting business.

In today’s episode, Rob talks to us about his career, overcoming organizational challenges and bringing about change. His goal is to help people be optimistic and be positive about their lives.

Listen in as he walks us through his successes, failures, and lessons that he has learned along the way.

Resources

Social handles;

https://www.facebook.com/robcampbellleadership/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-campbell-361757b6/

https://www.instagram.com/robcampbell_leadership/

Website: https://www.robcampbellleadership.com

I joined the National Guard in 1987 and found out I liked it so I got immersed in the military and chose to go on active duty in 1990. [2:50]
The military is a great place to shock your potential because they throw you into scenarios and training and of course combats that are shocking. [3:40]
It was a tremendous career growth for me which placed me in places I would not have thrust myself and so it did me wonders. [3:57]
Everything was a team effort and so our experience doing that over 27 years and 16 moves, I believe served us well. [5:27]
My children and my wife heard me talk about leadership and how it was all about the organization and not about me. [5:56]
It is tough for the spouses and they serve just as much as veterans and I believe in them so much because they are leaders in their own right. [6:09]
They learned a lot of the same values that are infused in me and bring the same kind of things into their own core life. [6:34]
Veterans are well equipped to be entrepreneurs and we’re just not doing a very good job in military transition of exposing them to that and convincing them that they are. [7:30]
The military rule really helped hone many skills for me, which I think are very critical for running successful business. [7:58]
There are some obstacles to overcome but we can adapt quickly and so that’s how it really helped me to be able to step in and be an entrepreneur. [8:06]
Commercial break. [9:51]
Book writing is very entrepreneurial and I believe more people have books inside of them, especially veterans. [11:43]
I coach a lot of folks to try and take that leap and get into book writing, because that wasn’t my grand plan but I have managed to write two books with a third on the way. [11:50]
When I got out, I didn’t know what I wanted to do and that’s what a lot of veterans experience. [12:07]
In 2016, I had my blank sheet of paper, and I decided to take some time off and I kind of stumbled into book writing and I started my entrepreneurship journey there. [12:37]
I also the Executive Director for a non-profit, which is a live virtual entrepreneurship program that is taught by entrepreneurs who have decades of experience in business. [13:07]
Part of the problem with a lot of these entrepreneurs programs out there on the veteran side is they’re taught by veterans, not entrepreneurs. [13:19]
We get an audience from across the world and they realize they still need to be schooled up on how to go through the entrepreneurial journey. So that’s been a great journey. [13:33]
I do a wide variety of things which include consulting, teaching, coaching and speaking and coaching and speaking of the two things that I love to do most. [14:08]
What I do in those roles across the board is shining a light on something that an individual cannot see. [14:25]
The most ROI for me, is when the light bulb comes on and somebody sees that they have the potential to do something. [14:54]
You need a coach to be able to pull that out and kind of bring you up to that next level, even at the ripe old age. [15:09]
A lot of veterans get out and they don’t know what they want to do and that’s what my second book is all about. [15:53]
The title of the book is called At Ease, which is a term when said calmly means that it’s going to be okay and that’s what I was trying to say in the book. [16:11]
There’s this weird sense of we don’t have that complete freedom because we were always beholden to the bigger institution of the military and we had to seek that approval. [17:04]
That is the struggle that I address in the book and share that you’re at ease and that transitioning is a journey that you’re traveling. [17:30
One of the things that I discovered after the book was out last year, it speaks not only to veterans, but anybody making a major transition in life. [20:43]
One of the chapters in the book is about Be careful not to drop an anchor and what I mean by that is veterans and anybody making a big transition need to remain flexible. [21:17]
Many veterans are starting to question their service specifically to Afghanistan but reflecting back on those things that we provided for them, we all did the very best we could. [25:50]
I believe many of us are a shining example of service and sacrifice and will remain so especially the fallen. [27:12]
When you thank a veteran, you’re still doing the right thing and it means a lot and so they need that and a friend going forward. [27:25]
We are at a really important time in our country and we as veterans and non-veterans can really come together, form of friendship and get to know each other better. [27:33]

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