Joe Lara

It was truly an honor to join other education, civic, and business leaders to contribute to the Blueprint for Action: AI Literacy for All. This Blueprint reflects a collective call to treat AI literacy—the knowledge and skill set that enables people to understand, evaluate, and use AI systems and tools—as a foundation for the future and as essential for our workforce, democratic participation, ethical agency, human flourishing, and economic competitiveness. The Urban Assembly will lead the way in this effort. Partnering with aiEDU and EDSAFE AI Alliance to equip UA Principals and educators with the AI Literacy and policy environment necessary to innovate with AI to improve outcomes in public education. Always forward!

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Personal Mastery This is one of the core concepts Peter Senge talks about in his book "The Fifth Discipline," and it's always stuck with me. Senge makes a simple but often overlooked point. You don't create a learning organization by installing programs or frameworks. You get one by having learning individuals. That foundation has to come first (think hiring or long-term development). The challenge is that personal mastery is rarely taught. Some people are naturally driven to develop themselves. They read, reflect, experiment, and push to get better. Others are comfortable doing the minimum. Then there are unlimited gradations. The differences matter more than we like to admit. When we have a workforce that is self-motivated and self-inspired to improve, learning scales naturally & culture follows behavior. The danger comes when that internal drive is missing, and leaders try to force development instead. That is usually where well-intended initiatives go to die. Have you ever seen a forced professional development session? Not the best one... Personal mastery cannot be assigned. It has to be chosen. At least... I'm struggling to find a counterpoint...

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Military project managers bring exceptional discipline to civilian environments, but translating reconnaissance-by-fire tactics into Agile methodology requires understanding the strategic value of controlled failure. My latest article explores how "Fail Fast" bridges military precision and accelerated learning with civilian project management. For veterans transitioning into project management roles, this concept transforms the military principle of testing enemy defenses with minimal forces into a powerful business strategy that reduces project risk and accelerates delivery success. #PMIMilitaryChampion #Military2CivilianPMP

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Transitioning from military to civilian project management requires understanding the credential landscape. The Project Management Institute (PMI) offers two certifications that serve different career stages: the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and the Project Management Professional (PMP). Many veterans and military project managers wonder which certification suits their experience level and career goals. This article clarifies the differences between these credentials, compares their requirements and benefits, and explains why starting with the CAPM may provide strategic advantages even for experienced military project managers. Understanding these certifications helps you choose the right path for your professional development and maximizes your return on time and financial investment.

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𝐌𝐢��𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐯𝐬. 𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐨 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐯𝐬. 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 (full article in first comment) Military and corporate leadership are built on the same core skills, but they are expressed through very different language. In the military, leadership is direct, hierarchical, and mission-focused. Leaders issue clear orders, make rapid decisions under pressure, and are held immediately accountable for outcomes and the well-being of their teams. This environment values precision, discipline, and execution, which produces leaders who are decisive, resilient, and deeply experienced in managing risk and responsibility. In corporate roles, leadership relies more on influence, collaboration, and alignment than on rank. Leaders guide teams by building trust, aligning stakeholders, and driving results through communication and shared accountability. Veterans often struggle not because they lack leadership, but because their experience is described in military terms that civilian employers don’t instantly recognize. When military leadership is translated into corporate language, employers clearly see strategic thinking, people leadership, and results-driven performance. #resume #jobsearch #military #civilianjobs #governmentworkers

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“How might we trust Airmen with innovation if we don't trust them with time?” “What if every training dollar had to produce measurable courage?” “How do we know we’re building thinkers, not theater?” Catalyzed by Jeff's "Age of Questions" piece in MWI - are your change efforts or strategy asking the right question? This might, after all, be the most critical area. Want to explore? What about running a 'Stuck to Strategic Inquiry: Turn doubts into direction" workshop with your team? Instead of waiting for 'urgency to change' to come from top level leaders, use simple and grounded perspectives from your team about what's possible and preferable. What is toil, and what is capacity building? Give individuals accountability over themselves and their small AOE (area of effect) to connect their local actions with global outcomes. Recognize that local optimization efforts (e.g. clarity of communication at the highest levels of hierarchy) may have negative effects on the rest of the system (burdensome / cumbersome reporting requirements) Seek not just 'solutions' - but question tensions in the organization. Be willing to ask questions about inverting presumed power flows and see what happens if you unleash people to do their best work for a short time. (Empower them to stop doing things they don't see as adding value)

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 Adaptability: The Core of Small Unit Leadership "Adaptability is crucial in leadership—particularly in small units where flexibility and resourcefulness are often the key to success. Dandridge M. Malone's Small Unit Leadership reminds us that leaders must be agile and open to change. When circumstances evolve, a rigid leader can slow the team down. However, an adaptable leader can shift strategies, encourage innovation, and keep the team moving forward. Are you adapting your leadership style to meet the challenges of the moment? This book is one I revisit often, as it offers timeless insights into staying adaptable in leadership. #Adaptability #Leadership #Innovation #ChangeManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #Malone #TeamSuccess"

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#MilitaryTransition Tip for #ProjectManagement: Translate, Translate, Translate One of the most common challenges I see with active military members and veterans transitioning into civilian careers, especially in Project Management, is translation. ✅ They already have the skills. ✅ They’ve led teams, managed risk, handled logistics under pressure. ✅ But they don’t always know how to translate that experience into civilian language. This is where #PurpleThreads can trip people up with limiting beliefs including: 🧵 “I don’t qualify ... I don't have corporate experience.” 🧵 “Civilians won’t understand what I did.” 🧵 “I am not marketable without civilian certifications.” I help people recognize their limiting thoughts, reframe their experience, and translate their skills into a language to help land their next career. Do you agree with these translations? What would you add? ♻️ If this resonates with you or could help someone in transition, please repost or share it forward. You never know who might need this reminder today. #ThriveTogether #CourageToChange #ConfidenceToThrive #Veterans #ThinkSayDo #CareerShift

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Which kind of transitioner are you? The: 1️⃣ Transitioning Specialist - a service member who has held a technical military occupation and wants to continue in that occupational area within a civilian workforce. 2️⃣ Transitioning Generalist - a service member who wants to utilize their general and leadership skills they acquired through the military service in a civilian workforce. 3️⃣ Career Switcher - a service member who wants to pursue a specific civilian occupation that is unrelated to their military occupation or experience. 4️⃣ Multi Tasker – a service member wants to pursue a combination of civilian opportunities that may include employment, education, technical training, entrepreneurship collar or volunteer work. 5️⃣ Undecided - a service member who has not decided on a specific career path within a civilian workforce. Why ask this question? Because it’s important understand where you’re at, and where you’re going? 1️⃣ Will your specialized (or general) skills and credentialso get you the role you want. 2️⃣ Do you need a upskill by doing a #dodskillbridge, get a CERT, or obtain a degree? 3️⃣ What kind of timeline are you looking at? 4️⃣ Have you spoken to anybody in the field that you’re interested in? 5️⃣ What GAPs do you have, and what do you need to fill them? One of my favorite tools to use with transitioners, is the GAP Analysis. I’ve used it to help people explore and find better aligned #dodskillbridges, internships, college programs, and certifications….all those “credentials”. In some cases, I’ve helped people complete SEVERAL…to get a better snapshot of their roadmap. Give it a shot! If you have any questions, reach out! You better call Tyrone

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