Leadership Lessons Learned From an addict
By Major Zeke W. Dodd
Article published on: January 1st 2024, in the Army Chemical Review 2024 Annual issue
Read Time:
< 8 mins
The three greatest leadership lessons that I have learned during my 11-year career as a Soldier, I learned from a
drug addict. In early 2020, I stumbled upon a Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED)x® Talk entitled “Great
Leaders Do What Drug Addicts Do”
; and for the next 18 minutes, I received a crash course in what addicts learn when they start their recovery
journey. Mr. Michael Brody-Waite introduces himself as an addict and explains how the three principles he
learned in recovery—practice rigorous authenticity, do the uncomfortable work, and surrender the outcome—
allowed him to be wildly successful in business and served as a model for his business vision and practices. I
have found myself reflecting on those three principles almost daily since I ran across that video 4 years ago.
As I’ve grown as a leader, I’ve discovered that my understanding of each of those principles has grown in depth
and enhanced my understanding of what it truly means to lead authentically, vulnerably, and virtuously.
Practice Rigorous Authenticity
I was 30 years old the first time I held a firearm with the intent to harm myself. It was a dark time in my life.
I was struggling with overwhelming anxiety, and I found myself falling deeper and deeper into depression. For
more than a year, I had been lost. I felt no joy at work, with my Family, or in my hobbies. I was struggling
just to get out of bed, maintain regular personal hygiene, go to work, and exercise. And I was increasingly
distracted at work, unable to think clearly or make sound leadership decisions due to the brain fog I was
experiencing. However, because I forced myself to smile, laugh, and pretend that I was okay, no one else truly
realized how much I was struggling. It took me more than a year to get assistance—but, luckily, I had a
phenomenal military medical provider who recognized the depth of my pain and knew that I needed professional
help. She encouraged me to seek therapy and psychiatry through an online virtual telehealth service—which,
honestly, is the reason I am here today.
Through this experience, I have come to realize that my story and my testimony have meaning. I understand that I
didn’t survive this experience just to keep it to myself but to share it with others, with the hope that it will
resonate with someone else who is struggling.
Practicing rigorous authenticity is a daily challenge. It means not hiding who you are and how you are feeling.
It is a call to action to be who you truly are; to be vulnerable; to seek help; and to have real, deep, and
uncomfortable discussions with your Soldiers and teammates.
Do the Uncomfortable Work
When I first listened to Mr. Brody-Waite explain the three principles he had learned in recovery, I believed that doing the
uncomfortable work was the easiest principle of all. I thought I did uncomfortable work every day; I completed
physical training and other daily Soldier tasks that are often accompanied by discomfort due to the weather,
fatigue, or other stressors. It wasn’t until I was halfway through my company command assignment that I realized
that this is actually the toughest principle in practice.
Participating in difficult conversations with people who I respect and care about is uncomfortable work for
me—but that is a baseline requirement for all leaders. As leaders, we must routinely engage in uncomfortable
conversations with subordinates about their performance, personal challenges, or other issues that warrant our
time and energy in order to make sure that we correct undesirable behaviors and support our Soldiers and
teammates when they need us.
My most uncomfortable work situation consisted of a mediation session involving two loyal, hardworking
subordinates who I respected and cared about. I understood both of their sides of the story and why they acted
and reacted the way they did. However, I knew that this was an important moment—both for them and for me. It
presented an opportunity for me to practice doing uncomfortable work and to support two of my Soldiers. I
properly prepared by determining a time and location, thoroughly writing notes, and setting ground rules before
we started. I shared vulnerably and encouraged them to do the same. The session was successful, but I knew that
the situation would take a toll on me and I needed to properly plan for mental and emotional recovery time;
therefore, I had set aside time following the session to conduct regular work that required little thought or
energy.
Your uncomfortable work is likely unique to you. I encourage you to truly understand it through regular
reflection. I also encourage you not to shy away from it but to successfully tackle it through proper planning,
preparation, and recovery and to grow as a leader and as a person through each challenge you face.
Surrender the Outcome
Surrender is not a word that we tend to use in the profession of arms—and for good reason. However, it
is important for our health and for the profession that we, as leaders, surrender the outcome. We cannot control
everything, but we can control how we react to everything. Life is unfair and often extremely humbling—and
Soldiers and leaders are not exempt. Sometimes we do everything in our power, exhaust all available resources,
and still fail. That’s just how life is. But it is important to set an example. We must maintain a calm and
stoic demeanor, demonstrating that no matter how rough the sea or how challenging the task, we will not allow it
to affect who we are, how we act, or how we treat people.
A command and staff briefing situation can be used to illustrate the appropriateness of a “surrender the outcome”
approach. Everyone wants the command and staff slides to be designated “green”; the meeting goes fast, the boss
is happy, there’s no stress or worry. However, the slides must sometimes be designated “red” to force leaders to
recognize that there is a problem, either with systems or leadership. Both can be fixed, but only if we trust
the process and surrender the outcome.
I didn’t realize it until much later in my career, but I actually learned the “surrender the outcome” lesson when
I was a young first lieutenant. Coming up on my 1-year mark as a rifle platoon leader, I knew that my time with
the platoon was winding down. I made the necessary preparations and began to fantasize about what I felt certain
would be my next job—the scout platoon leader. After all, I was a competent tactician, had just earned my expert
infantryman’s badge, was well-regarded in the battalion, and was a physical training stud. However, during my
senior rater counseling, my battalion commander informed me that I would be placed in the headquarters and
headquarters company executive officer position. I was devastated. That job was the opposite of the cool job
that I wanted. I would be a paper pusher, working maintenance, supply, systems and processes, while someone else
got placed in the platoon leader position that I deserved! I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity for 2 weeks,
and then I went to work, devoting every ounce of time and energy that I could to the job. I have come to learn
that, although the scout platoon leader is the position what I wanted, the headquarters and
headquarters company executive officer position is the one that I needed. In that position, I learned
valuable leadership and Army lessons that have made me successful in a security force assistance brigade and as
a company commander. Now, when I look back, I wouldn’t trade that job or that experience for anything.
Conclusion
Four years ago, I happened to watch a TEDx Talk that ultimately changed my life. It forced me to reflect on
myself, my leadership style, and my purpose. I continue to challenge myself with the three principles of
practicing rigorous authenticity, doing the uncomfortable work, and surrendering the outcome each day. I often
fail; but each time I practice, I learn and grow as a leader and as a person. And that’s what I learned from a
drug addict.
Endnotes
Author
Major Dodd is the chief of the Officer Training Department; 84th Chemical Battalion; 3d Chemical Brigade;
U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He holds a
bachelor’s degree from the Virginia Military Institute and master’s degrees in management from the American
Public University and operational studies from the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas.