[May 17, 2016] It was midsummer of 2006 and a group of four U.S. Army colonels deployed to combat in Iraq. I was one of them. What we had in common was that 25 years earlier we had together been a part of the Army’s Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. What we were to experience a few… Read More »
[May 16, 2016] In 2003 during an interrogation of an Iraqi policeman suspected of helping setup an ambush on American soldiers, a U.S. Army officer fired shoots near the policeman’s head. Ostensibly to obtain information to protect his troops, the officer went too far according to U.S. Rules of Engagement and behavioral standards.1 This behavior, however, is indicative… Read More »
[May 15, 2016] In Part 1 of this two-part series, I argued that boys differ from girls in many fundamental ways and that for boys to acquire leadership skills then they need to be taught differently than girls. Turning boys into leaders entails a greater hands-on approach that benefits them; providing a solid foundation for future education, family,… Read More »
[May 14, 2016] Boys and girls are different. Surprise … that statement will generate controversy in a politically correct climate; but everyone knows it to be true. It follows that to teach leadership to boys involves different techniques. Turning boys into leaders means starting at a younger age than girls and requiring boys to be more actively, directly… Read More »
[May 13, 2016] A young man attending college in his first year and the only child of loving parents, and also close friends of mine, regularly disrespected his father and mother. The parents had secretly saved for their child’s education but decided not to use it as intended because of their child’s disrespectful behavior. A big lesson for… Read More »
[May 11, 2016] The other day I was perusing the Internet looking at the popularity of various ideas. My interest was how the subject of leadership compared with other concepts such as gaming, music, food, and sports. Leadership was hardly a blip on the radar (depending on how it’s measured), while music and television were consistently at the… Read More »
[May 9, 2016] One of the greatest risks a leader can make is to over promise what they can do. Everyone has seen it time and again and everyone will experience overpromising leaders throughout their lifetimes. And, as expected, leaders are drawn to people who desire something better. The end result is, at best, disappointment or, at worse,… Read More »
[May 6, 2016] Yesterday while waiting in my doctor’s office, I saw a segment on Good Morning America about a 7-year old girl’s note that fooled school officials. The handwritten note said that the girl was to take the bus home early. School teachers and administrators (and there were several involved) were so risk averse that they took… Read More »
[May 5, 2016] It has been said that militaries win or lose partly on how well their generals lead but also on how well their soldiers follow. When leaders speak plainly they draw people to them. Great leaders are brutally honest, often very blunt in their words because they say what’s on their mind. They will always tell… Read More »
[May 4, 2016] When my friend Wilson and I joined the Little League baseball team as six-year olds, we were fortunate to meet one of the best coaches of all time. Dr. Hagood was a physician but also a part-time coach in our small town. His greatest contribution to children on his team was to instill in us… Read More »