Robert "Abe" Abrams, The 4-Star Muddy Boots Leader - Lessons from 39 Years of Army Leadership, How a "Raging Introvert" Can Lead An Organization of 1 Million People, and What It Is Like to Be In A War

Not only does Robert "Abe" Abrams (see his bio below) have an extensive Wikipedia page but so does his father (who also has a US Army tank named after him). I was honored to have Abe as a guest. We talk about his love for being a tactical leader (leading combat troops in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan during multiple combat tours spanning Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom), what it is like being in combat, how the death of his father at 14 years old impacted him, how he successfully retired as a 4-Star Army General after 39 years, overcoming being a "raging introvert" to lead organizations over 1 million people, how to retire successfully (it involves sprinting through the "retirement" tape), what is a military leader's sacred responsibility, and working for a world-class a$$ chewer. This episode has many leadership lessons so get ready to learn (and laugh)!

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Abe's bio: Over a 39-year career of active duty service, General (R) Robert B. “Abe” Abrams​ (Wikipedia) led troops in peace and war. Following his commissioning from theUnited States Military Academy in 1982, he spent his formative years in a Cavalry
Squadron with a mission on the E-W German border during the cold war, lead
combat troops i​n Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan during multiple
combat tours spanning Operation Desert Shield/Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom
and Operation Enduring Freedom. He was the Senior Military Assistant to the 24th
Secretary of Defense. He commanded with distinction at every level from
Company to 4-star Major Command including command of the Army’s and DOD’s
largest formation, US Army Forces Command, with over 750K soldiers and DA
Civilians across all 3 components for over 3 years. His final assignment was as the
Commander United Nations Command, the ROK-US Combined Forces Command
and US Forces Korea from 2018-2021.

Since retiring, Abe serves as a Board Director for Vistage International; as a
board director for the Bob Woodruff Foundation; as a senior Board Advisor for
VAYA Space; as a member of the Board of Business Executives for Gridiron
Capital; as a consultant for several companies; and is the Vice Chairman of the
Korea Defense Veteran’s Association, a 501(c) non-profit. Abe speaks publicly on
leadership and Korean Peninsula affairs, and is a military contributor to ABC
News.

Happily married, he and his wife are proud parents of two children and
grandparents to two grandchildren. They moved to a small farm in western
Missouri following retirement. The Abrams have a Golden Retriever named
“Hank” and adopted an abandoned orange tabby named “Fred”. Abe is a
functional fitness enthusiast who also enjoys golf, follows college basketball
closely, and gets March Madness annually. He remains an ever-optimistic fan of
Army Football and has been recently converted to a fan of the KC Chiefs.