[May 17, 2015] While we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War II, there remain many opportunities to learn about the many campaigns during the war … and also about leadership. Few people today have heard of the invasion of the Ryukyu Islands, but we do know it as the Battle of Okinawa where the… Read More »
[May 16, 2015] Just out in the news … for political junkies … is the latest edition of The Pig Book by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW). As described by the authors, the Congressional Pig Book is an “annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the [United States] federal budget.” What it really does is tell the story… Read More »
[May 15, 2015] There’s a very old saying in the U.S. military that cuts to the core of leadership. The saying is that, you can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility. You will always find a commander in charge and the success or failure of any operation rests squarely on that person’s shoulders. That may seem harsh… Read More »
[May 14, 2015] There are few people across the world that don’t recognize the slogan, “Just say no to drugs.” It was a simple message that encouraged children and young adults to avoid dangerous illegal drugs that could cause them serious problems, especially in adulthood. Today, the “just say no to drugs” campaign is essentially over. Furthermore, many… Read More »
[May 13, 2014] One of the first commanders that I worked for shortly after my commission to Second Lieutenant was a great guy and family man. He was the kind of person you could have a beer with and enjoy watching the football game on television. However, as a leader he had one major flow; he could not… Read More »
[May 12, 2015] Being a senior leader comes with many challenges that require a good intellect, mental resilience, and character … just to name a few. One thing that is rarely discussed however is the affect of a spouse on that leader or their career. It is presumed in the traditional sense that all leader spouses do are… Read More »
[May 11, 2015] Combat is a crucible that leaves little room for making mistakes. Those who have engaged in combat with an enemy know that small unit leadership is what makes a difference because it’s about solving problems. Combat is chaos, some say “organized chaos” but nonetheless chaos, and thus it demands that decisions be made quickly with little… Read More »
[May 09, 2015] Many years ago I learned a valuable lesson on improving clarity. As a graduate student I was responsible for teaching several classes. One day I asked my class a question, and wanting to encourage anonymity I directed them to write their answer on a scrap of paper and on the folded outside to write “male… Read More »
[May 08, 2015] “Just keep me informed so that I’m not surprised,” so said my commander during the early days in the Iraq War when our troops were in a running gun battle with insurgents. When it comes to bad news, I have found that keeping your boss informed of potential and actual bad news is important because… Read More »
[May 07, 2015] The good thing about educating ourselves on central events in history is that we can learn valuable lessons and not repeat those mistakes. It is important for leaders to learn about the Nazi Dachau Concentration Camp and its liberation in 1945; 70 years ago. It is also important that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was present… Read More »