Deborah L. Parker

Military service has long been viewed as the steadied model of leadership. Those who’ve answered that call, yesteryear to current times, from ‘old soldier’ to modern-day warrior, have carried on this institution’s ultimate mission to support and defend freedom.
Then what can we, as leaders, learn from this historical model for dealing with today’s mission challenges, uniquely gleaning lessons from the life of an ‘old soldier’? For the late retired Command Sergeant Major, Vietnam Vet, Ranger Hall of Fame inductee and the Honorable Harris L. Parker, his oldest niece and fellow army veteran Deborah L. Parker approves his timeless message of leadership. Ensuring that he has not faded away, she honors the achievements of her late uncle, lovingly known as Hardcore to his family, with these eleven powerful lessons for those who find themselves in charge in their work, community, or home. Reporting on her uncle’s service to his country and purpose, as well as in leadership positions for their native Virginia county of Sussex, Parker overlays his noted wisdom, courage and vision with practical strategies to start your own leadership campaign.
Weaving in take-aways from her career and personal experiences in leadership development through her company The DPJ Training Group, Parker, also a retired reserve Lieutenant Colonel, has put together a thought-provoking book packed with memorable teaching anecdotes. Inspiring and informative in saluting her uncle’s biographical legacy, she makes the case for us all in Hardcore’s words, to ‘press on.’