Andrew Campbell

Be comfortable with being uncomfortable.

 

Dr. Andrew H Campbell Omaha NE is the Director of the International Peace and Leadership Institute located in Omaha NE. He provides emerging organizational and strategic leadership research and development via face to face and online training programs for mid to senior military and government leaders in government and nongovernment organizations. This training designed for organizational conflict prevention, specifically for conflict resolution practitioners who are conducting and executing peace development in a post-conflict environment.

A retired senior military officer, Dr. Andrew H Campbell Omaha NE holds a Masters in Diplomacy in International Conflict Management from Norwich University as well as a Doctorate in Global Leadership from the Indiana Institute of Technology. He currently works for the Department of Defense specializing in Weapons of Mass Destruction, Counter-Terrorism and Global Security Cooperation. He is also an Adjunct Leadership Professor for Air Force Command and Staff College, Adjunct Professor for Federal Executive Institute, Leadership for Democratic Society-Crisis Leadership, and Emotional Intelligence and Leading Change for Norwich University.

Andrew H Campbell Omaha NE is a published author in both national and international journals, as well as an internationally recognized speaker. He has addressed the World Society of Victimology at the Hague, International Peace Leadership at the World Unity Center in India, keynote speaker at International Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution in Bangkok Thailand, European Consortium for Political Research and regular speaker at the International Leadership Association. Andrew H Campbell Omaha NE has recently published the first book ever mixing peace and leadership called Peace Leadership: Self-Transformation to Peace, which explores leadership theories to conceptualize the intersection of leadership and peace within conflict management and resolution. Also, he has released a book on the Global Leadership Initiatives for Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution, which explores leadership approaches within peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding.

Where did the idea for International Peace and Leadership Institute come from?

My research centers on leadership applications and practices within peacemaking, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding. The name simply came from mixing the two disciplines as an institute. Post-conflict leaders face enormous challenges, not only in conducting stabilization and reconstruction, but also in supporting these activities. The institute focuses on those challenges and provides cutting edge international leadership training opportunities and consultant engagement to international government organization and nongovernment organizations as well as donor support organizations.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I plan and prioritize each morning. After breakfast, I set aside thirty minutes to reply to emails, coordinate with my boss to identify requirements. I have a team meeting so we can discuss those requirements. Throughout the day, I make sure to take time to network and develop new relationships. I have found that focusing on one thing at a time improves daily productivity. Research and my experience is that multitasking is inefficient, and people are not designed to do several things at once and still be efficient. Really multitasking can place an unnecessary toll, so I break things down into manageable tasks based on prioritization.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I am a strategic thinker. I like to look at the big picture with the strategic foresight to navigate through the myriad of complex issues when I make my decisions. I have the ability to identify organizational capability gaps with little information, make innovative solutions or recommendations in a fiscally constrained environment. For example, as National Chairperson for the Leadership Education Consortium, I am responsible for developing a national strategy for leadership development within the nine-military mid to senior service academies. The team was having some difficulty identifying how to insert more courses into an already established course of 160 hours. We needed to add another 27 hours to it. In a sum zero game, I took a different approach, looking at the existing courses and determining what was no longer helpful or simply updating the current curriculum to better align with the current national strategy. This both standardized the classes and saved the organization a significant amount of money.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I am really excited about the new trend of helping others understand how to lead in an uncertain, volatile, complex and an ambiguous environment in the corporate environment. Leaders have traditionally preferred the predictability and certainty, but given the current geopolitical and economic pressures, this is not as easy to attain as it once was. Leaders have to become comfortable with being uncomfortable in this uncertain and complex corporate setting.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

The best habits I have are mindfulness and meditation. I believe in living in the moment and not allowing your emotions to control your choices. There are many ways to resolve an issue. Being open to new ideas and accepting of others’ input is critical to successfully navigate in the complex, uncertain, and volatile world, .

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell myself to live from the core of yourself. Don’t make decisions unless your head and heart these are in sync with each other. Also, learn to forgive yourself and give others grace. Finally, develop your self-awareness and self-regulation to develop your lead yourself so you can lead others. How can you lead others if you cannot lead yourself?

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

My definition of peace leadership is still being examined in the international leadership and peace development community.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I actively practice mindfulness. Living in the present as opposed to focusing as much on external factors is a habit, I would encourage everyone to practice. I meditate frequently and I feel that has helped with my own personal development. It’s something I recommend because it can be beneficial in your personal and professional live.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Again, mindfulness plays a big role in my strategic planning. It has a part in every aspect of my day-to-day life. The strategy of actively listening to an issue and creating the best way to a successful outcome is all part of mindfulness.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Something I have focused on working on over the years has been not letting my emotions control me. . I have learned to bring my head and my heart in tune with each other more. That way, when I make a decision, I know it’s the best choice as opposed to something based solely on an emotional reaction. It is sometimes better to walk away for a few moments and return to a plan with a clear head. Once I realized the benefit of taking these steps, I found that my decisions are more practical, and it has made a huge difference for me.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I think a great idea for someone to really concentrate on would be how to effectively manage and lead in an artificial intelligence environment. Technology has advanced so much and so quickly in how we live our lives and run our businesses, it is definitely worth the research.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I have taken my wife who is from Ukraine out to experience a few things she hadn’t before. We went to her first amusement park. She had never been on a roller coaster and watching her excitement as she overcomes her fear and excitement of wanting to ride again was exciting for me. Watching her and see these things she had not before made it worth every penny.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I use LinkedIn a lot for job searching and networking with people in the peace development and leadership community

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

I would recommend Leading Organizations in Turbulent Times by B Jordaan. The book looks at the world’s current geopolitical and socio-economic structures and gives advice to strategic leaders, leadership research and leadership practitioners leadership on how to navigate within today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment.

What is your favorite quote?

The hardest person you will ever have to lead is yourself. When you can lead yourself through the challenges and difficulties, you will find that leading others becomes relatively straightforward. By being authentic and true to your beliefs, you can unite people around a common purpose and a set of values and empower them to step up and lead.

Key Learnings:

● Practice mindfulness
● Be comfortable with being uncomfortable
● Be a mentor to others

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