𝙀𝙋𝙄𝙎𝙊𝘿𝙀 189: “Words Win Wars

Sharing my recent podcast interview for those not on LinkedIn.

Words Win Wars: Howie Cohen’s Lessons on Government CX, Innovation, and Impact

In a recent episode of “The Government Huddle” podcast, Howie Cohen—former senior advisor at Defense Media Activity (DMA)—shares a look behind the curtain at how the Department of Defense (DoD) is reimagining success beyond the battlefield. Rather than focusing solely on traditional defense assets, Howie breaks down the essential, often overlooked role of non-kinetic capabilities: words, communication, information, and experience design.

Key Takeaways

  • Non-Kinetic Deterrence Matters: Modern defense isn’t just about missiles and tanks. It’s about how information, narratives, and web presence shape perception, deter conflict, and build trust.
  • Digital Consolidation is Strategic: The DoD operates thousands of public-facing websites; managing these individually is costly, risky, and inefficient. Howie’s work led targeted efforts to consolidate and modernize the DoD’s web presence, creating not just cost-savings (estimated 80-85%) but vastly enhancing security and mission resilience.
  • CX as National Infrastructure: Customer experience (CX) isn’t just “nice to have”—it’s foundational for critical services, especially when lives and national logistics are at stake. The creation of sites like blueroof.gov, made accessible just in time for major hurricanes, demonstrates the power of responsive, user-focused digital government.

Howie’s Approach to Change

  • Lead with Courage & Transparency: Facing internal resistance and bureaucratic inertia, Howie’s team was bold and persistent—hosting open forums, writing daily, and directly engaging with skeptics and stakeholders across the DoD.
  • Frame Transformation in Value, Risk & Reward: He championed understanding not just the short-term costs of digital transformation, but the long-term, systemic value for mission, security, and taxpayers.
  • Think Bigger Than “Your Own Backyard”: True innovation required leaders to see past their own immediate needs and contribute to the greater good.

Action & Inspiration: What Howie’s Experience Means for Us All

  • Words—and how we deliver them—are as vital as any weapon. How information is structured, protected, and shared can decide outcomes at the highest strategic levels.
  • We can all lead change by starting candid conversations, mapping real costs and value, and putting the mission and user at the center of every project—even in settings as complex as the federal government.
  • Don’t wait for crisis to drive innovation: anticipate, advocate, and take bold action for the greater good.
  • Boldness and empathy are not mutually exclusive. Howie’s leadership reminded us that real progress—whether in defense or any organization—requires both.

Let this episode re-energize your own mission: Whatever your field, lead with clarity, communicate with purpose, and always look for ways to serve the greater good. That’s how words win wars, and how we move governments—and people—forward.

🎧 Listen Here:
Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/e2TrFFP
Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eWgpCvk8
Amazon Music: https://lnkd.in/ewJrrxY7