[August 31, 2020] By early 2005, my unit had been in combat in Iraq for nearly a full year.1 One day, with little notice, our commander told us to prepare for a Congressional Delegation visit. At first thought, we were incredulous. What could a group of Congressmen do for us? That was when we learned about the caring… Read More »
[August 30, 2020] At the Battle of Cowpens, January 1781, American Revolutionary General Daniel Morgan fought the British and won. After repeated losses to the British, American forces were demoralized, beaten, and poorly lead. Morgan changed the way Americans fought, and for this, we can learn what traits it takes for a senior commander to win. What were… Read More »
[August 29, 2020] I live in a 55-plus housing development as part of a Home Owners Association. Residents are older, generally conservative politically, culturally homogeneous, and nearly all are retired. Despite their age, most live with a spouse and are physically active. They are what most folks would call, solidly middle class. They also support the police and… Read More »
[August 28, 2020] An interesting scene in the HBO series Band of Brothers (2001) brought back memories of the time I was an officer in the U.S. Army. In the military, we have a saying, salute the rank, not the man. Saluting is a sign of respect,1 but there are times you do not respect the man wearing… Read More »
[August 27, 2020] It’s been too long since I posted a “good habits” article. A reader suggested that I get my “ass in gear” and restart this mini-series. A few weeks ago, we took our Boy Scout troop out on their annual summer camp. One of our Scoutmaster’s requirements was that the scout’s get up early. “Lose an… Read More »
[August 26, 2020] “Mail Call.” The shouted notice by our Administrative Staff Sergeant was time for high spirits. We were getting mail. By the end of 2004, my unit had been in combat for over ten months when a card arrived for me from an Oklahoma Schoolgirl. How she got my name, I’ll never know, but I found… Read More »
[August 25, 2020] A regular theme found in my leadership website is the value of reading, especially the reading of history. Reading is vital for the development of the mind and helping leaders improve their performance. However, what is not generally recognized is that readers must also evaluate each reading as to the validity of the research and… Read More »
[August 24, 2020] Rummaging around with some old books of mine (when I first read about leadership), I kept seeing a common theme. I get time to do that now; more reading, looking out the window at on green trees and blue skies and thinking. What I see is that old leadership principles never seem to die; they… Read More »
[August 23, 2020] Here in the United States, we are gearing up for the 2020 Presidential election, which occurs on November 3rd. With that in mind, I will be writing several leadership profiles, and today I begin with past Secretary of State John Kerry. I chose Kerry because his traits reflect the traits of those now running for… Read More »
[August 22, 2020] The importance of proper paperwork cannot be overlooked. Many years ago, as a staff officer, I wondered why the promotion rates for Administrative Army officers exceeded the rate of Infantry officers. Infantry was the place of leaders, more likely to experience combat and to demonstrate one’s bonafides in the U.S. Army. Why then did Admin… Read More »