Leadership Principles

1. Achieve Professional Competence

2. Clarify Objectives and Intent

3. Solve Problems; Make Timely Decisions

4. Direct; Motivate by Persuasion and Example and by Sharing Risks and Hardships

5. Train Individuals and Teams Under Demanding and Realistic Conditions

6. Build Teamwork and Cohesion

7. Keep Subordinates Informed; Explain Events and Decisions

8. Mentor, Educate and Develop Subordinates

9. Treat Subordinates Fairly; Respond to Their Concerns; Represent Their Interests

10. Maintain Situational Awareness; Seek Information; Keep Current

11. Learn from Experience and Those Who Have Experience

12. Exemplify and Reinforce the Military Ethos; Maintain Order and Discipline; Uphold Professional Norms

The Texture of Resiliency Creed

Grant me the strength to act with resolve when action is needed,

the discipline to hold steady when restraint is wiser,

and the clarity to know the difference,

not just in principle, but in the fog of real-world decisions.

Let me meet hardship with readiness, fear with training, and doubt with intent.

Make me slow to panic, quick to adapt, and always aligned with the values that outlast the chaos.

And if I falter, remind me that resiliency is part of the fight, and the fight is still mine to lead.

Amen, or whatever gets you back on your feet.

About the Episode

There’s a saying that has followed me through every uniform I’ve worn: you will not rise to the occasion — you will fall to the level of your training.

This episode, Rise to the Occasion, digs into that reality. We like to believe that when the pressure comes, we’ll somehow “find another gear” and deliver our best. But that’s not how it works. In the military, policing, or everyday life, when the moment hits, you don’t invent new skills. You default to what you’ve trained, practiced, and reinforced.

That’s why principles matter. Structure matters. Having something to fall back on when clarity is gone can make all the difference. In this episode, I reflect on the Canadian Armed Forces’ Principles of Leadership. On paper, they were written to guide leaders of troops in the field. But they’re just as valuable for guiding yourself when life gets chaotic.

What makes these principles unique is their universality. From the newest private to the most senior commander, these are the standards that shape decision-making and conduct across the Canadian Armed Forces. If an entire institution as large and tested as the CAF trusts these principles to develop leaders at every level, then they’re worth carrying with us as individuals.