[April 20, 2018] The army Captain barked that he was looking for a commitment from all the 2nd Lieutenants going through the basic course at Fort Benning, Georgia. We all asked ourselves why he was even saying this; of course, we were “committed.” But what we later discovered was that his interest was more … it was for… Read More »
[April 18, 2018] At 5:13 am on this date, April 18, 1906, the city of San Francisco, California experienced a massive earthquake that was felt along nearly all of the West Coast. Massive fires then broke out threatening to kill thousands. The only way city leaders could control the problem was to think big, act quickly, and not… Read More »
[April 12, 2018] When I was working on my college degree, I heard the story about a small group of students who were admitted to Navy ROTC and yet none had the proper grades. It was a clerical error but they were allowed to stay and, to everyone’s surprise, all but one finished. At that point, I concluded… Read More »
[April 8, 2018] Is that a sexist comment, or what? Perhaps, but I’ll write about it anyway because there is some truth to it and because it’s something leaders should keep in the back of their minds. My grandmother was especially fond of men in uniform and although she never saw me in mine, she was a big… Read More »
[April 5, 2018] Anyone who has ever had a tough boss knows the value of a hard-hitting taskmaster that is committed to expanding your talents. Tough bosses can recognize talent before others do but they can also push you to do things you never thought possible. There may not have been a tougher boss than ballet choreographer Jerome… Read More »
[April 3, 2018] There’s an old Mexican proverb that goes something like this, He who walks with wolves, learns to howl.1 This is a variation on advice that is found in since ancient times in the writings of ancient philosophers and from the Bible. It means that when we associate ourselves with good and wise people, we will… Read More »
[April 2, 2018] As a new Second Lieutenant, I was originally a slob; my clothes were everywhere, my refrigerator had expired food in it, and my desk at work was disorganized. One day I had a grizzled, old sergeant comes into my office to give me a piece of constructive advice. Get organized, he said, and while you’re… Read More »
[March 30, 2018] Soldiers in the military often encounter situations in a battle that are difficult to navigate because of conflicting values. Those values underpin how they are supposed to behave. For example, if a commander decides to attack an enemy hideout, it is likely that U.S. soldiers will die. The moral conflict is clear; protecting one’s soldiers… Read More »
[March 29, 2018] Riding my horse in the backcountry of West Virginia, one day I ran upon a man living alone in a shack by himself. I stopped to water my horse and speak with the man who looked to be one of the toughest men on the face of the Earth. From him, I learned more about… Read More »
[March 25, 2018] As a leader you will get blamed for bad things happening, even if it is not your fault. A few days ago United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz said in a speech to a business group that the airline had badly handled a number of incidents on its flights.1 From a passenger being dragged off a… Read More »