[June 24, 2019] Leaders make mistakes; it goes with the leadership territory. This means an apology should be forthcoming to show you recognize the error, learned from it, and are moving on. There are also times when not to apologize. Apologizing when you’re wrong shows humility and that you have the ability to learn and change for the… Read More »
[June 18, 2019] It seems like yesterday that I joined the U.S. Army. That was 45 years ago, and my thinking hasn’t changed much since then. My values remain largely unchanged, and my commitment remains rock-solid. What has changed, however, was my devotion to the discipline necessary to succeed and my understanding that only through discipline can we… Read More »
[June 17, 2019] “Find a buddy. You’ve got 10 seconds,” the Drill Sergeant screamed at us as we arrived at Fort Polk, Louisiana for boot camp. Private Thibaut Lemieux, a Cajun from southern Louisiana, stood next to me and we instantly became part of the Army’s mandated buddy system. Thibaut (pronounced t-bow) and I were inseparable throughout the… Read More »
[June 13, 2019] A common failure among leaders is an inability to “see” into the future and thus to take steps to prepare for is arrival. Our daily existence depends upon it also. If we forget to pay our utility bills or fill your car up with gasoline, the effect is inconvenient but not catastrophic. “You were given… Read More »
[June 12, 2019] As a Buck Sergeant in the U.S. Army, I heard many military idioms and often wondered if military officers existed just to confuse sergeants. Since retiring from the army, referring to something like the long pole in the tent has become one of my favorite expressions. The problem is that it has more than one… Read More »
[May 30, 2019] I grew up in the Deep South part of the United States. As a kid, my biggest fear was getting bit by a Water Moccasin snake1 and eaten by an alligator. One of the first scary films (I cannot remember the name) I saw as a kid showed a man falling into a pit of… Read More »
[May 23, 2019] My first U.S. Army company commander told a gaggle of new Second Lieutenant that his first priority was safety. “I don’t want anyone killed during training.” His comments were simple and unambiguous; just like any good leader should be when speaking with subordinates. But he was also way off the mark. Leaders in the U.S.… Read More »
[May 16, 2019] I’ve heard from many folks in various militaries around the world who put in their time and yet never got “the call.” The call is military-speak for being called for combat duty. That’s what we train for, that’s the purpose of our duty, and we expect that we willed be called to defend our nation… Read More »
[May 15, 2019] The phrase “lock and load” has been around a long time. Veterans of military service know it well; whether on a weapon qualification range or preparing for combat, lock and load literally means to chamber a round in your weapon. It also means to be ready for anything. Being ready for whatever comes is what… Read More »
[May 9, 2019] During my 40 years of military service, my Engineer friends and I have been assigned some near-impossible tasks. More often than not in combat, these new tasks have ranged from building new bases in a few weeks to clearing intricate anti-personnel and armor obstacles in a few hours. Usually, we used a quick and dirty… Read More »