Major General Vincent Boles Returns to Alma Mater to Share Lessons in Leadership

Major General Vincent E. Boles, '76, returned to his alma mater on Oct. 3 to discuss the lessons he learned leading and working with troops in significant times and critical missions over his distinguished 33-year career in the Army. His presentation, "Leadership: It's Not About Motivation," was this year's Peggy and John Day University Honors Lecture and featured in the university's October Speaker Series.

The highly decorated Army veteran-he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (two awards), the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal (three awards), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Parachutist Badge, and the Army Staff Badge-was commissioned as a second lieutenant of ordnance upon graduation from Niagara University. His knowledge, skills, and leadership ability earned him positions of increasing responsibility, including integral roles in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was the commander in charge of the Army's Field Support at the time of the September 11 attacks and later, from commands in Kuwait and Iraq, he assumed control of all war reserve supplies and equipment from around the world to prepare for and support the Coalition's operations into Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines and the Horn of Africa.

He became the ROTC program's highest ranking graduate in 2004, when he was promoted to major general and assigned as the Army's chief of ordnance, where his experience with the global war on terror was a crucial component in the training programs he developed for Ordnance Corps Soldiers in the fields of mechanical and electronic maintenance, ammunition handling, and explosive ordnance disposal.

Maj. Gen. Boles assumed duties as the assistant deputy chief of staff for logistics in the Pentagon in 2006, where he again played an integral role in the management and support of logistical operations worldwide, with special emphasis on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When he retired in 2009, Maj. Gen. Boles embarked on a new vocation as a speaker, teacher, consultant, corporate board member, and executive coach, sharing the lessons he learned while leading one of the most important and complex supply chains in the world. In 2011, Niagara University honored him with its highest honor, the President's Medal.

We caught up with Maj. Gen Boles to ask him a few questions about leadership in today's business world.

What are your top three strategies for leaders today?

1. Leadership is not management. Soldiers aren't "managed" in critical operations, they must be led by leaders they feel connected to, and they respect.

2. A leadership buzzword today is "empowering." I'm struck by the leaders who quickly delegate/empower folks, AKA "you got this" vs. those leaders who ensure that they "enable" their folks, ensuring they have what they need to accomplish the task. As a leader, it's appropriate to insist on high standards; however, leaders have to be willing to assist their folks in attaining those standards.

3. Faster is not better… Better is better. Focus on being better over faster.

Your career has been focused on leadership, both in the Army and as a speaker. What would you say are the most significant differences in the challenges leaders have faced over the years, especially in a post-COVID world?

Speed of Data. It travels faster, whether we are ready for it or not.

The Explosion of Social Media. We are scrolling every day, scanning data points. The challenge is to transform the data into usable information, so we have the knowledge to make better decisions.

Declining Trust in Institutions. In 2020 when COVID hit, we went from about 3% unemployment to 14.8% in 30 days. People remember how quickly their worlds were turned upside down. Add to that the stress of a health crisis that killed over 1.3 million Americans, children learning from home, and the loss of workspace "connecting," as so many worked from home. All this was made worse by political leaders who downplayed the impact of the virus and denigrated those who tried to encourage vaccinations and other preventive measures. We now confuse the volume of an argument with its correctness.

What do you see as the future of leadership in a work environment where everyone is being asked to do more with less, and where technological advances like AI are impacting the way we do business?

Efficiencies in processes are normal, and if you're uncomfortable with adapting to change, you'll be challenged often. At a certain point, however, doing more with less becomes unfun.

AI will enable faster decisions, but will leaders have the clarity of thought, purpose, and values to make "value-added" decisions for their people and organizations? People aren't led by algorithms and PowerPoint charts. They're led by leaders. High-tech solutions will require "high-touch" interactions because people matter-always have.

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