The most meaningful similarity between my time as a collegiate baseball coach and my time as an Army officer is not the presence of hierarchy, discipline, or standards—it is the responsibility to cultivate an exceptional experience for the people entrusted to me. In both professions, performance is inseparable from experience. Leaders who pursue experience deliberately and relentlessly are rewarded not only with better outcomes but with stronger teams, deeper trust, and organizations capable of sustaining success over time.
Ownership sits at the center of that experience. Players and Soldiers must own their experience just as leaders own outcomes. Life is not fair, effort does not guarantee reward, and good people are sometimes dealt bad hands. When leaders over-dictate experience—when roles, outcomes, and value are prescribed without input—creativity is stifled and belonging erodes. Individuals begin to question whether they matter, whether their leader values their perspective, and whether they truly belong to the organization.
In both coaching and command, I found that ownership grows when individuals are given the opportunity to articulate what they want from the experience and are empowered to add value where they believe they can contribute. This requires regular, genuine communication. It requires leaders to show—not say—that they want their people to succeed. When that relationship exists, difficult conversations become easier. A baseball player who once defined himself solely by his on-field skillset can be guided to see value in preparation, leadership, and culture. A lieutenant who expected immediate platoon command can be reframed from a mindset of being wronged to one of opportunity—recognizing how staff time builds competence and contributes meaningfully to the battalion. In both cases, the realization is often surprising to the individual, but transformative once internalized.
Relationships Create Roots
Relationships establish roots within an organization, and those roots are a key component of an exceptional experience. As coaches, we intentionally encouraged players to build relationships beyond the athletic department—with cafeteria staff, athletic trainers, professors, and other campus personnel. The more relationships they built across the university, the more they felt they belonged to the whole institution, not just to the baseball program. That sense of belonging gave us credibility and flexibility when what a player wanted on the field wasn't what we could give him.
I applied the same philosophy in the Army. I encouraged junior Soldiers to build relationships with Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) personnel, motor pool staff, civilian medical employees, physical therapists, and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation personnel. Expanding their network widened the spectrum through which a Soldier could find fulfillment, mentorship, and enjoyment. This does not diminish a leader’s responsibility for extreme ownership or battlefield care—it reinforces the truth that a Soldier who feels valued, connected, and fulfilled is far more willing to endure hardship, accept risk, and perform under pressure.
Individualized Opportunity Within Structured Standards
Opportunities within an organization must be individualized while remaining bound by clear standards and philosophy. Equity does not mean equality. Not every player receives the same playing time, and not every Soldier receives the same schools or assignments. However, leaders who fail to creatively address experience gaps risk disengagement. The responsibility lies with the leader to find alternate avenues for growth, contribution, and success when traditional pathways are unavailable.
Some of the individualized opportunities I leveraged extended beyond the traditional chain of command. For example, the Armed Forces Blood Program on post awarded Army Achievement Medals to Soldiers who donated blood six times within a calendar year. We encouraged participation not only as a form of service but also as a pathway to recognition, pride, and tangible benefits, such as offsetting uniform and supply costs through free items from the center.
We also used community service hours tied to blood drives and volunteer efforts to help Soldiers earn the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. These initiatives tied Soldiers to the local community, strengthened peer cohesion through shared service, and provided visible recognition for positive behavior. They were especially useful in promotion board scenarios, allowing Soldiers to stack the deck in their favor through effort they controlled — not through award backlogs or reliance on administrative processes. Most importantly, they empowered Soldiers to own their success on their own time and to fuel their career trajectory.
Collaboration Builds Ownership and Confidence
Collaboration is another force multiplier in building ownership. Regardless of rank or seniority, there are always problem sets appropriate to an individual’s level of experience and credibility. Leaders who delegate meaningful, low-risk problems to junior personnel increase ownership, confidence, and perceived value.
This collaboration can be simple: establishing a standard operating procedure for loading equipment in a vehicle, structuring a motor pool binder, editing a form, designing a logo, improving a physical therapy submission process, or building a team resource. These low-threat opportunities allow junior personnel to solve real problems in a controlled environment. The best leaders I have worked for found creative ways to give junior people meaningful problems to solve — problems commensurate with the level of trust and capital they had earned within the organization.
Belief, Identity, and the Winner’s Mindset
One universal truth I observed across both environments is that everyone wants to be a winner. The rarest individual on a collegiate team or in a platoon is someone who genuinely wants to lose. Everyone possesses an ego that can be ignited if approached correctly. At the University of Charleston, the baseball program had won fourteen games the year before our staff arrived. In our first year, we won 17. In the second, 34. In the third, 36 games, a conference championship, and the school’s first NCAA tournament appearance. That progression did not begin with talent alone—it began with belief.
Our head coach, Andrew Wright, instilled a belief that we were winners before results confirmed it. He had lived that identity at multiple levels and brought it with him. Our players believed it completely. I have seen the same dynamic in military units. Leaders often inherit underperforming platoons or organizations they believe are beneath them. This is precisely where belief matters most. Convincing people they are winners is the first step; aligning personnel and processes to make that belief real is the leader’s responsibility.
Identity and symbolism play an outsized role in reinforcing belief. Whether through a motto, a logo, or a shared narrative, people want to belong to something they are proud of. Pride matters—especially to young people. Experiences that resemble the stories they admire reinforce the idea that they are part of a winning team. No one proudly shares images of themselves because they believe they belong to a losing organization.
In the modern era, identity is reinforced through visibility. Young Soldiers want to show friends and family the meaningful and exciting aspects of their profession: the weapons systems, aircraft, vehicles, and training. We deliberately used social media to reinforce pride and a sense of belonging. We captured photos of Soldiers in training, featured them in sitreps and unit updates, and ensured they were represented in official posts. That visibility served as indirect positive feedback—communicating that they were valued, trusted, and doing important work.
Adding Value Beyond Primary Roles
While everyone wants to win, everyone also wants to add value—even if they cannot be the most valuable performer. As a coach, we emphasized value through education, leadership, community service, and development. In the Army, I gave junior Soldiers ownership beyond repetitive labor. A private skilled with technology could design a logo for a training event. A junior Soldier could lead a motor pool engagement under NCO supervision. These moments mattered because they communicated trust, competence, and relevance.
Visible work reinforces value. Tangible contributions and community projects allow individuals to see the impact of their efforts. Conversely, isolated or thankless work erodes morale and a sense of belonging. Leaders must constantly assess whether their people feel optimistic and engaged—or disconnected and undervalued.
Development Culture and Ownership at the University of Charleston
From a coaching standpoint, the player development program at the University of Charleston was second to none. We approached development team games with the same intensity, professionalism, and standards as varsity and Mountain East Conference games. From walkout songs to batting practice structure to meticulously clean uniforms, everything mirrored the varsity experience.
We intentionally communicated that these games were not lesser opportunities; they were individualized opportunities. The experience was sold, structured, and executed as a legitimate proving ground. Players were encouraged to own it, maximize it, and treat it as a direct pathway to advancement.
To reinforce authenticity and emotional investment, we scheduled games in regions where players’ friends and family could attend. Competing in front of people who mattered increased pride, urgency, and effort. Over time, strong performance in these environments directly translated into varsity opportunities. It was common for a player to perform at a high level midweek and earn a starting spot by Saturday. That credibility fueled belief, hunger, and commitment to excellence.
One example that stands out was a pitcher who arrived throwing roughly 75 mph—a reality in small college baseball. Instead of writing him off, we offered a long-term development plan: redshirt, commit to strength training, pursue academic growth, complete summer development programs, and allow time for natural physical maturation. The plan was honest—grow from a teenager into a man, trust the process, and maximize potential. By age 22 or 23, that same athlete was throwing 89+ mph, holding a degree, and positioned for long-term success. Belief, patience, and structure reshaped both identity and performance.
Individualized Communication Builds Trust
From the moment a leader encounters someone, opportunities exist to build a connection. Clothing, accent, interests, and demeanor all offer insight into who a person is and where a relationship can begin. Effective leaders notice these details, find common ground, and deliberately build upon it through consistent, individualized communication. Over time, those small interactions compound, strengthening trust, capability, and resilience.
The best leaders I have known personalize communication—even with people very different from themselves. They ask about lives, interests, goals, and aspirations. They listen. They remember. That understanding allows leaders to tailor opportunities when time, mission, and resources permit.
If a Soldier wants to reclassify, reenlist, and stay in the Army but lacks the required GT score, a leader can connect him with the Basic Skills Education Program (BSEP). If a player aspires to become a sports broadcaster, a leader can link him with conference officials, university communications staff, or local media outlets. These opportunities may sit outside the primary mission or on-field performance, but they directly support identity, motivation, and long-term buy-in.
Leadership is not always about the mission in the moment—sometimes it is about the individual. These periods of personalized communication accumulate over time, creating a foundation for trust. When that foundation exists, mission-driven communication becomes easier, harder tasks become acceptable, and commitment deepens under pressure.
Moments That Cement or Evaporate Trust
“Do-or-die” moments belong to the person experiencing them—not the leader observing them. What seems routine to a commander can feel life-altering to a young Soldier or athlete. The best leaders recognize that reality and act decisively in moments that matter.
One defining moment in my life occurred on October 18, 2012, during a Division II baseball scrimmage in southern West Virginia. A fastball struck me in the face, knocking me to the ground. I swallowed blood, nearly passed out, and the medical staff feared I had broken my jaw and required emergency evacuation. My head coach reached me before anyone else. When medical personnel transported me to the hospital, he handed practice to an assistant and rode in the ambulance with me. At 2:30 a.m., when imaging confirmed my jaw was intact, he remained by my side. That moment cemented lifelong trust. I knew he would always act in my best interest.
I have witnessed the opposite. A teammate once learned he had torn his labrum and rotator cuff—a potential career-ending injury. When he told his head coach, the coach replied, “That’s tough,” and walked away. The moment vanished, along with trust.
These trust-defining moments occur everywhere: promotion ceremonies, medical crises, family emergencies, pregnancy notifications before major training events, or when junior leaders must advocate upward for their people. Leaders who step forward build loyalty. Leaders who ignore these moments quietly lose credibility.
Ironically, these moments rarely happen under fire—but the trust built during everyday seasons carries teams forward when a real crisis arrives.
Constant Feedback Reinforces Confidence and Course Correction
The best leaders I have worked for consistently provided feedback to every member of their organization. Some preferred formal written feedback; others used informal conversations. Both are effective when done consistently.
Positive feedback reinforces the belief that individuals add value:
- You did a great job cleaning the motor pool.
- I saw the effort you put into collecting equipment.
- That Humvee came back in excellent condition.
- The weapons inspection looked outstanding.
Hearing consistent positive reinforcement helps people believe they are competent, valuable, and capable—reinforcing the broader belief that everyone wants to win.
Constructive feedback is just as critical. When individuals begin drifting toward poor decisions, disengagement, or isolation, timely correction can prevent long-term negative outcomes. Feedback becomes a real-time tool to keep people on the path toward growth, contribution, and a positive experience.
Recruitment, Retention, and the Infectious Nature of Culture
An exceptional experience does more than retain people—it attracts the right people. Retention keeps strong teammates in the organization, but recruitment determines who joins in the first place. The best ambassadors for any team are the people already on it. When individuals feel respected, challenged, and valued, that energy becomes contagious. An infectious culture draws in like-minded performers who want to be part of something meaningful. Conversely, poor experiences replicate themselves—bad environments attract the wrong people, just as strong environments attract strong ones.
Leadership Balance and Accountability
A critical balance in leadership is recognizing that everyone is special—and that no one is. Every individual deserves the opportunity to pursue an exceptional experience, but no one’s experience supersedes the team. Talent does not exempt someone from discipline or accountability. When the hardest worker is also the top performer, leadership is easy. When the best performer becomes the greatest challenge, leadership is required. The solution is not an exemption, but the redistribution of responsibility and the elevation of others.
Conclusion
Ultimately, if we ask young people to sacrifice for the greater good, they deserve clarity on the end state. They must understand what they are working toward and why it matters. The relentless pursuit of an exceptional experience is not a basic leadership concept—it is a strategic one. When leaders commit to it fully, the dividends appear everywhere: in performance, in culture, in recruitment, in retention, and in the quiet confidence of teams who believe they belong to something worth giving themselves to.
Author’s Note: Captain Robert Haggerty is a Regular Army Civil Affairs Officer, and he currently serves as a Civil Affairs Team Leader. Before joining Civil Affairs, he served as a heavy weapons platoon leader and executive officer in 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. He commissioned through OCS in 2018 at the age of 28. Prior to joining the military, Captain Haggerty worked as a college baseball coach for five years, as a minor league baseball analyst for the Tampa Bay Rays and Pittsburgh Pirates, as an apprentice coal miner for CONSOL Energy, and as a Construction Engineer for the WVDOH. He holds an MS in Strategic Leadership from the University of Charleston and an MA in Sport Management from Dallas Baptist University.