Take the Leap

I regularly sit down with service members from every status and background, and I often find myself giving voice to the words they’ve been quietly avoiding: “Take the leap. Go for it.” But before I send anyone charging toward a new path, I hit pause—and start asking the uncomfortable questions that demand real self-reflection. Why do you want this change? What’s the actual problem? Are you simply curious, or are you genuinely dissatisfied? By using the Five Whys method, we can uncover the root causes behind their goals or frustrations. That clarity guides the recommendations I make for their careers—and sometimes even for their lives as a whole.

Military culture is full of expectations—some spoken, many implied. You’re told to seek the next rank, the next qualification, the next duty station, the next challenge. But none of those milestones matter if they aren’t aligning with the life you actually want to build. Recently, I met with “Beth.” In her current role, she could easily do the same thing, day in and day out, and feel confident she’d get promoted and reap the many financial and educational benefits the unit offered. I listened to her wade through the proverbial noise, mostly revolving under the illusion that her unit needed her because she was the subject matter expert and top enlisted person in her section. But, we hit pause and I asked whether her pursuit was driven by genuine desire or by obligation. She confessed that she wanted more even if the “more” was something new and a little scary. Using root cause analysis helped her strip away the fog. When you ask “Why?” enough times, you often discover whether a goal is truly yours or if it belongs to someone else’s picture of success. Beth has since submitted her commissioning package and request to join the active duty (from the Guard).

I also met with “Tom.” Something wasn’t jiving with him. Many service members, like Tom, start exploring their future because they sense something is “off,” but they can’t articulate it. Are you burned out? Under-challenged? Frustrated with leadership? Missing family milestones? Struggling financially? Feeling stuck? Each of these problems points to a very different root cause—and therefore a very different solution. If you don’t define the real problem, you risk fixing symptoms instead of systems. The Five Whys method forces you to sit with the discomfort long enough to understand what’s actually driving your dissatisfaction.

In Tom’s case, he wasn’t feeling valued or heard. With over a decade’s worth of experience and new commander at the helm, Tom was ready to participate in helping shape the future of the unit. Tom waited for a month for the new commander to say, “Ok, what can I do for you?” or “What ideas do you have?,” but it never came. Tom thought he needed to vacate his position and start anew somewhere else. However, Tom needed to first assert himself as a senior NCO, schedule time with the commander, and make his ideas known before considering leaving the unit as a disgruntled shadow of the past. He needed to give the commander the opportunity to improve the culture of transparency and open-mindedness before throwing deuces in the air. In the meantime, Tom has started looking at other opportunities and has been psychologically preparing for a geographic move if things don’t pan out with the commander.

Planning for your future requires knowing your boundaries. Every military member has non-negotiables—family priorities, career limits, health needs, financial goals, moral lines, or lifestyle preferences. Too often, these priorities get shoved aside because “the needs of the service” take over. A root cause analysis helps you see whether your current path supports or violates those lines in the sand. Once you identify your non-negotiables, decisions become clearer, faster, and more confident.

No future is perfect—military or civilian. Staying may mean predictable benefits but less control. Leaving may mean freedom but increased uncertainty. Changing career fields may reignite passion but require short-term sacrifice. Root cause analysis helps you understand which trade-offs you’re willing to accept and which ones you’re not. When you know the root reason behind your choices, the sacrifices feel purposeful instead of painful when you take the leap of faith when changing the narrative.