LAWSON MAGRUDER

Magruder’s impressive career began in 1969 as a Distinguished Military Graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, followed by combat service in Vietnam as an infantry rifle platoon leader and later as a company commander in the 82nd Airborne.

A 1974 honor graduate of Ranger School, Magruder was hand-selected to be the first commander of Company B, 2nd Battalion (Rangers), 75th Infantry in 1975. During his command, Magruder built the company from the ground up and developed the tactical, airborne, cold-weather and administrative procedures that became the battalion standard for years to come. His company’s first-time-pass rate at Ranger School was the highest in the battalion.

Later in his career, Magruder incorporated his experience as a Ranger company commander into the tactics curriculum of the U.S. Army Infantry School, fielded “Best Ranger” teams from the 25th Infantry Division and 10th Mountain Division, and integrated Ranger tactics, techniques and procedures into the training of light infantry and airborne units at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, La and the Jungle Operations Training Center in Panama.

As a general officer he commanded Combined Joint Task Force Kismayo in Somalia, the Joint Readiness Training Center, U.S. Army South and Joint Task Force Panama, and the 10th Mountain Division (Light). He concluded his career in 2001 as the deputy commander and chief of staff of U.S. Army Forces Command, the Army’s largest command.

His military awards include two Distinguished Service Medals, the Defense Superior Service Medal, four Legion of Merits, two Bronze Star Medals, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Ranger Tab, the Master Parachutist Badge and the highest peacetime awards from the countries of El Salvador, Colombia, Belize and Argentina.

Since retiring, Magruder has served as a vice president for Battelle Memorial Institute and as the Executive Director for the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Institute for the Protection of American Communities.

Magruder’s true passion for leader development was fueled in various consulting positions prior to the formation of the True Growth leadership brand in 2006. He was a senior mentor for several years for Active, National Guard and Army Reserve units preparing for deployment worldwide. He has also assisted units as they prepared for domestic disaster relief and homeland defense operations.

He is the President and Principal Owner of LWMIII Consulting LLC. He and his partner, Byrd Baggett, developed a world-class leader development model program called True Growth that was recognized by the United States Army, FEMA, and numerous commercial businesses. Until Lawson’s retirement from the business in 2022, over 12,000 leaders in industry and government benefited from True Growth programs. He volunteers as the Chairman of the University of Texas at Austin’s Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium Veterans Committee and, as a Director on the Army Residence Community Foundation Board.

He is the co-author of “True Growth: Simple Insights on How to Live and Lead with Authenticity” and the author of “A Soldier’s Journey Living His Why: Inspired by a Little Green Book”.