[February 4, 2019] The motto at the U.S. Army Infantry School is “Follow Me.” Implicit, but utterly clear is their message that a leader is always on point; out in front of others and making things happen properly. This is where we get the old saying that great leaders forever lead from the front. Real leaders never lead… Read More »
[February 1, 2019] There’s a kid’s guessing game that is old as humans have been on this Earth. It involves one child holding something in one hand and asking another which hand holds the object. It’s a simple guessing game. Or is it? Unlike the average child who gets to chose randomly, leaders don’t guess. I used to… Read More »
[January 22, 2019] Leadership often means breaking new ground, going places no one has gone before, and dealing with complex and difficult problems that would overwhelm most people. In 1914 a great war began that was to ravage much of Europe and test the values of the United States. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson concluded that it was in… Read More »
[January 21, 2019] When my son was growing up, he often enjoyed playing on our small-town’s sports teams. We all know the ones; no kid is refused a spot on the team, and everyone gets to play. His baseball team was in last place; 11th and yet he came home with a trophy. He thought it was “really… Read More »
[January 18, 2019] With the 100 anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, there has been a renewed focus on the mistakes that started the war. That is a noble and worthwhile cause. On the other hand, today is the anniversary of the beginning of the WWI peace talks; January 18, 1919. I will address some… Read More »
[January 15, 2019] For everything we do in life rules govern how we behave, talk, think and accomplish our missions. Anytime we fail to do so or go off in an unauthorized direction; there are unpredictable but usually negative consequences. Going off the reservation is how this is often described. In early 2007 while in combat north of… Read More »
[January 1, 2019] Each year I take a little time to gaze into the murky crystal ball of the future and attempt to predict what hot leadership topics will be available for us to discuss. Why should I do this prediction thing, even when those prognostications turn out to be wrong? Well, I get to put my thinking… Read More »
[December 31, 2018] As we end the year 2018, many of us will be looking back at those things we’ve gained intellectually and perhaps also at our lost opportunities. While lost opportunities are often a subject with family and friends, what is often missing from the conversation are the poor attitudes that drive them. I use the term… Read More »
[December 28, 2018] No one wants to get into ugly controversies. I know of no one who does. But leadership means being at the tip of the spear and consciously deciding to make difficult choices; even when the popular mood advises against it. “We take and must continue to take morally hazardous actions to preserve our civilization.” –… Read More »
[December 27, 2018] Being a leader means remembering that you are there for a reason and the reason is not about having everything your way. A number of my readers asked that I compile a list of fake traits that leaders hold. Below is a list of 22 of these fake traits; each being commonly encountered in poor… Read More »