[October 31, 2017] Now that it’s scary Halloween1, it would be appropriate to take on the frightening topic of politics influencing organizations. A question often asked is whether leaders should allow politics to influence their organization’s mission and values. It’s a question often addressed at the most senior levels in nearly every organization. Those answers rarely concur but… Read More »
[October 29, 2017] Growing up I had a few heroes. Like most of my buddies, we were enthralled by the famous exploits of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur, President Teddy Roosevelt, and astronaut John Glenn. Each of these men with their own individual leadership style was a major contributor to the advancement of America’s scientific community. In February 1962,… Read More »
[October 27, 2017] I was excited to be selected as a U.S. Army Company Commander for the first time; something all officers properly look forward to in their development as a leader. Fortunately, my Battalion Commander was a good man who took the time to speak frankly with me and give advice on how to be successful. One… Read More »
[October 26, 2017] Contrary to the commonsense notion that senior leaders undertake great efforts to develop strategies that encompass all elements of their power, many are not concerned about strategy. A new book out by Victor Davis Hanson posits that the Axis Powers leading up to World War II were driven by tactical ambition and overlooked the Allied… Read More »
[October 25, 2017] At the fall of the city of Saigon, May 1975, thousands made a miraculous escape from advancing communist North Vietnamese forces. The story of one family, with young children in tow, recently captivated a group of military veterans with their exploits of their escape, terror, miracles, and adversity suffered and, of course, how they endured.… Read More »
[October 23, 2017] Those folks who’ve lived in times of great chaos and survived have a certain level of awe and respect that surrounds them. Much has been written and stories told of those times where people endured a crisis, tradgedy, confusion, and uncertainty, only to emerge as victors over chaos. “You never want a serious crisis to… Read More »
[October 22, 2017] U.S. football legend Roger Staubach once said that “there are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” As in any part of life, going beyond what is expected or required will put you ahead of others. The idiom Going the Extra Mike is a well-known idea that is both tried (by us all) and true.… Read More »
[October 20, 2017] There’s a saying that one of the most difficult skill for a leader to gain and maintain is thinking clearly and accurately. At first glance, one would not think it that much of an obstacle but the experience of senior leaders says otherwise. Accurate thinking means several things; most important of all is they do… Read More »
[October 19, 2017] On this date, October 19, 1864, during the American Civil War, Confederate General Jubal Early launched a surprise attack against Union General Philip Sheridan’s forces. After a furious battle, Early’s forces were routed and at the conclusion, the Confederate invasion of the North was effectively ended. Today, there are those in the U.S. who want… Read More »
[October 17, 2017] If leaders are to make a strategy effective, it must have a realistic end-state, alignment of resources, and clarity of objectives and message. For those of us who lived through the 1973 Oil Embargo, it was a time that we all got the message. The embargo by Arab members of OPEC stopped the flow of… Read More »