[April 23, 2017] Many years ago before I was commissioned a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, I was an Infantry Drill Sergeant at Fort Polk, Louisiana. There I learned a valuable lesson while teaching the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship to new soldiers. I would explain to them how to shoot the M161A1 rifle … foremost, seeing it done… Read More »
[April 22, 2017] Believe it or not, one of my engineer Captains actually said that to me … once. If it’s stupid but works, it ain’t stupid, is one of the many Murphy’s Laws of Combat. While there is some morsel of truth to the “law,” I have a totally different take. Leaders should never fall for it.… Read More »
[April 21, 2017] Here at theLeaderMaker.com I like to encourage habits that make leaders effective. In that context, I’ve found whenever a leader asks good questions, good things happen. Indeed, this is a significant fact that cannot be overlooked by those who fill the role of leader. There is, however, some confusion I will clear up. Two key… Read More »
[April 19 2017] Leadership is about people; young, old, male, female, your competitors, your family, the boss’s boss, etc. It’s about us all … and that is yet so simple of a concept that it’s often overlooked by leaders. But, the greatest leaders have never forgotten that it is about, and will always be about, all people. If… Read More »
[April 18 2017] The title of this blog is not the most elegant … but it is a quote from one of the best U.S. Army Sergeant Majors in recent times. I was sitting in the audience of soldiers and military families when the guest speaker said these words. I instantly connected to the speaker and idea. Yes,… Read More »
[April 17, 2017] There has been a lot of discussion recently about what message U.S. President Donald Trump intended to send when he authorized a military strike on a Syrian air base. For those familiar with the complexities of great leadership, things are not so simple. I support this authorization because I understand what he means and so… Read More »
[April 16, 2017] Three of us stood in the town of Vicksburg on the high banks of the Mississippi River overlooking where Union ships had run the Confederate shore batteries exactly 150 years before. With me was a South Korean Army general and a U.S. Army general; the latter whose family had lived in Vicksburg for more than… Read More »
[April 14, 2017] Late in January, the Winter of 2007, on the outskirts of the city of Baghdad Iraq, I was given the most difficult mission that can be assigned to an Engineer. Personally given to me by General David Petraeus, Coalition Commander, I was to prepare to receive 45,000 combat troops in six months. My only request? … Read More »
[April 10, 2017] A leader can be the best for the job, can be the smartest and strongest person, and can have all the resources available … but can still fail. We’ve all seen it happen when one of our best leaders fails to accomplish an important mission. Authentic leaders will never blame others or outside events for… Read More »
[April 9, 2017] One day many years ago I was visiting Fort Dix, New Jersey; a small U.S. Army base where mostly Reservists and Guardsmen train and located east of Philadelphia across the Delaware River. The commander of the base was a senior Colonel and a rising star in the military. He was eager to tell me that… Read More »