[June 12, 2015] There is a saying that “power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely …”1 When Lord Acton wrote this in a letter to Archbishop Creighton in 1887, he was disagreeing with the moral relativism of his time that was not critical of past corrupt leaders. He argued that all people should be held to… Read More »
[June 11, 2015] One of the lessons people everywhere have learned is that a leader will make occasionally make blunt statements about important issues. When senior leaders – national leaders, corporate CEOs, military generals – use blunt language, it gets our attention and that is often their purpose. I once had a two-star general from the country of… Read More »
[June 09, 2015] Those who have had the good fortune to know a great leader from the leader’s childhood are in a position to give a long-term view of leader growth. What those lucky folks tell us is that two things stand out in their relationship. First, that the person has been, through most of their life, very… Read More »
[June 08, 2015] A lot can be said about the many characteristics we find in the best of leaders; loyalty, morally courageous, accountability, etc. Conversely, there has been much written about leader characteristics that are destructive; those traits that damage those inside their organization and act as impediments to excellence. But among those destructive traits, which one is… Read More »
[June 07, 2015] “I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense”1 … and so begins the U.S. military’s Code of Conduct that nearly every person knows of who lives in the United States. Any code of conduct is a… Read More »
[June 06, 2015] Today we pay our respect to those involved in the success of Operation Overlord, more commonly known as D-Day on June 06, 1944 … the date of the first landings. Allies came ashore at Normandy, France and began the war to evict and eventually destroy Nazi Germany. There were four crucial events that preceded the… Read More »
[June 05, 2015] Truly good leaders care about history and the “behind the scenes” stories of why a particular leader or unit succeed or failed in their mission. Those leaders are interested in learning valuable lessons; both good and bad. The 92nd Infantry Division experiment is a good example where the fusion of politics, racial identity, and military… Read More »
[June 04, 2015] We’ve all heard excuses from people who, for some reason, fail to meet their obligations; whether that is doing their job, performing a required task, finishing a project. Some people complain more than others … we know who they are and we know what they will say before they say it. Over my decades of… Read More »
[June 03, 2015] Last year I was speaking with a U.S. military Flag officer about his experiences traveling through so many airports. He told me his biggest issue was his artificial metal hip. It always got him extra screening despite having proper documentation, frequent flyer status, and identifiable as a U.S. Army general. Would it be too difficult… Read More »
[June 02, 2015] A number of years ago my daughter finished elementary school and was preparing to move into middle school. At a ceremony to mark the transition there was much pomp and circumstance and included handing out of various honors and awards to the students. After the ceremony I asked my 13-year old daughter what she thought… Read More »