Earlier this year, Gibbons had the honor of hosting Michael X. Garrett, a retired United States Army four-star general and lifelong Catholic. Garrett shared his thoughts on prayer and leadership, each of which has defined Garrett throughout his life.
But first, who is General Michael Garrett?
There are only 11 four-star generals in the U.S. Army and Garrett was one of them. In his last role in the Army, he led over 750,000 men and women as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Forces Command – the largest unit in our army.
As students, every grade becomes harder than the last. Sixth grade is harder than fifth, freshman year is harder than eighth grade, and junior year is a lot harder than sophomore year.
Garrett would say that he was not the exception.
As he grew older, as a teenager and a military leader, his life and his problems became more complex.
Growing up as a Catholic, Garrett always knew what prayer was, but like many of us, the possibilities through prayer were not yet completely understood.
“As I grew older, I found myself facing problems I couldn’t necessarily easily solve. My whole life I’d be able to do that: solve problems and come up with solutions. One day, I didn’t know what to do so I just started praying the Rosary. And I’ll tell you what – it’s something I wish I’d done earlier. Not only does it calm me, but it reminds me of what’s important: God,” said Garrett.
Great leaders require strong foundations.
“The best leaders are the best followers,” Garrett said.
This means hearing from others and understanding what they need.
As a leader, the memories of both good and bad leaders someone has experienced shape great leaders.
“I was competing for my ROTC scholarship and the feedback that I got from one of the drill sergeants was, ‘Garrett, you’re really as talented as anybody I’ve ever seen, but you’re a horrible follower.’ I took that to heart and it has led my entire career,” Garrett said.
This advice led Garrett from ROTC to where he is today.
Before Garrett stepped into his Army uniform, he was a Catholic student. Looking back now, he says that, at the time, he didn’t fully appreciate the lessons and the foundation his Catholic education provided.
On Jan. 27, Garrett came to Gibbons. Companies often pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to hear him speak and learn from his life experiences.
In return, all he asked from Gibbons was a confession from Fr. Luke.
Taking advantage of the opportunities that Catholic school offers through the simple act of confession or going to Mass can lift the stress of highly stressed-out high school students – or four-star generals
The advice Garrett shared is simple enough to follow: open your heart to prayer and listen for the needs of others.
If anyone is interested in asking General Garrett questions about leadership, faith, and the military, he would be happy to answer. Contact him at mxgarrett50@gmail.com
“Prayer (as an adult and a senior leader in the military) was one of my secret weapons. I didn’t need to depend on myself or others, I could depend on God,” Garrett said.
