You’ve probably seen him on CNN. A calm guy in a suit, usually breaking down some messy geopolitical nightmare with the precision of a surgeon. That’s Mark Hertling. But honestly, if you think he’s just another "talking head" military analyst, you’re missing about 90% of the story.
Most people know him as a retired three-star general. What they don't realize is that Mark Hertling has spent the last decade essentially reinventing how we think about leadership in hospitals, of all places. It’s a weird pivot, right? From tanks to trauma wards. But for Hertling, it’s all the same mission: fixing broken systems and growing people.
The Tanker Who Actually Listens
Hertling wasn't just some officer pushing paper at the Pentagon. He was a tanker. He spent 38 years in the U.S. Army, starting as a second lieutenant leading a platoon of 19 guys on the East-West German border and ending as the Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe.
He’s seen the worst of it. During the 2007 surge in Iraq, he commanded the 1st Armored Division. We’re talking about leading over 30,000 soldiers in some of the most volatile provinces in the north. He didn’t just focus on the "kinetic" stuff—the shooting and the raids. He pushed something called "United and Strong," focusing on non-kinetic engagements like local government and economics. He realized early on that you can't just kill your way out of a complex problem.
- Purple Heart recipient: Wounded in action during the Battle of Medina Ridge in Desert Storm.
- Three-star rank: Retired as a Lieutenant General.
- Global reach: Partnered with armies from over 50 nations.
What Most People Get Wrong About Military Leadership
There’s this stereotype that generals just bark orders and everyone snaps to. Hertling hates that. Seriously. He’s spent his post-military career at the Crummer Graduate School of Business and AdventHealth proving that "command and control" is actually a terrible way to run a modern organization.
In his book, Growing Physician Leaders, he argues that doctors and military officers actually face the same problem. They are experts in their technical field—surgery or strategy—but they’re rarely taught how to actually lead humans.
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He’s trained over 1,200 physicians and nurses. Why? Because a hospital with a toxic culture kills people just as surely as a bad tactical decision on a battlefield. He’s obsessed with the idea of "trust" as the only real currency in leadership. If you don't have it, the most expensive equipment in the world won't save you.
The Fitness Crisis Nobody Talks About
Back in 2009, Hertling was put in charge of Initial Military Training. Basically, he was the guy responsible for every single new soldier entering the Army. What he found terrified him.
He saw a generation of recruits who were—to put it bluntly—physically breaking. They were coming in with lower bone density and less cardiovascular endurance than previous generations. He didn't just blame "lazy kids." He looked at the systemic issues: the lack of PE in schools, the rise of "super-sized" fast food, and the sedentary lifestyle of the 21st century.
He launched the Soldier Athlete Initiative. He treated recruits like pro athletes, changing their diet (the Soldier Fueling Initiative) and their physical training. He famously said that the declining health of American youth is a "national security requirement." If the kids can't pass the physical, you don't have an army. It’s that simple. President Obama eventually tapped him for the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition because of this work.
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Still on the Front Lines (Sort of)
As of 2026, Hertling remains a fixture in the national conversation. He recently joined The Bulwark as a commentator, adding to his long tenure at CNN. He isn't interested in partisan bickering. If you watch his segments, he’s usually the one trying to explain the "why" behind a maneuver or why a specific weapon system isn't the magic silver bullet the headlines claim it is.
He’s also a Professor of Practice at Rollins College. Think about that. A guy who commanded 60,000 soldiers is now grading MBA papers and teaching Socratic seminars. He loves it. He’s gone on record saying his passion is teaching—seeing that "lightbulb moment" in a student's eyes.
Why His Perspective Still Hits Different
- He’s been there: When he talks about the war in Ukraine or tensions in Europe, he’s talking about terrain he has personally walked. He knows the commanders on the ground.
- He’s a Doctor (of Business): He earned a DBA from Rollins in 2019. He didn't just get an honorary degree; he did the research on physician leadership.
- He’s a "Soldier-First" guy: Even at the height of his power, he was known for being approachable. He’s the kind of leader who wants to know what the private at the gate thinks, not just the colonels in the briefing room.
How to Apply the "Hertling Way" to Your Life
You don't need a tank to lead like Mark Hertling. Honestly, his philosophy is pretty grounded.
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Take the job seriously, but never yourself. This is a big one for him. Humility isn't about thinking less of yourself; it's about thinking of yourself less. If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.
Build the bench. Hertling often tells a story about a senior general who told him, "You're replaceable." It sounds harsh, but it’s a gift. Your job as a leader is to train your replacement so well that the organization thrives when you're gone.
Address the "non-kinetic" stuff. Whether you’re running a small business or a family, the "bullets" (the tasks/goals) aren't the only thing that matters. The environment, the culture, and the "whole of government" approach to your life are what create long-term stability.
If you want to dive deeper, check out his work on leader development at the Modern War Institute or pick up a copy of Growing Physician Leaders. It’s not just for doctors. It’s for anyone who realizes that the old way of "bossing people around" is dead and buried.
To get started on your own leadership pivot, try auditing your team's "trust levels" instead of just their output this week. Focus on the human factors that Hertling argues are the real backbone of any successful mission.