Category Archives: Information

Who Else Needs to Know?

By | November 8, 2017

[November 8, 2017]  Written in English and Arabic above the door entering the Tactical Operations Center for Coalition forces occupying Iraq in 2004 and onward, were the words Who Else Needs to Know.1  Our commander, like so many of us, had a number of bad experiences when members of our unit failed to inform him of important events. … Read More »

Catalonia: Nobody is in Charge Right Now!

By | November 1, 2017

[November 1, 2017]  Leadership often means advancing into new territory; operating when the rules are unclear or confusing, working with organizations that are not ready for change, or advancing an agenda that is highly controversial.  This describes the political situation in the breakaway region of Spain known as Catalonia. Leaders and followers of the Catalonia Independence Movement are… Read More »

Should Leaders Avoid Politics?

By | October 31, 2017

[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 »

John Glenn, Freedom 7, & Science Leadership

By | October 29, 2017

[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 »

Make Three Envelopes

By | October 27, 2017

[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 »

Leaders Can Profit from Adversity

By | October 25, 2017

[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 »