[July 17, 2015] During the Great Depression, a young man 30 years of age was flirting with the idea of creating a full-length movie with only cartoon characters. This had never been done before and was considered a risky financial endeavor. Many called it “Disney’s Folly” because it would surely fail. Instead, using new techniques and overcoming the… Read More »
[July 16, 2015] There are times here at theLeaderMaker.com that I point out mistakes made by senior leaders so that we can all learn from them. The point, of course, is to make ourselves better through careful study and analysis and to avoid making the similar mistakes. Sometimes this means that highly charged topics will be on the… Read More »
[July 15, 2015] The planet Mars has intrigued us since ancient times. It has brought fear and excitement, been a part of religion and science, and energized our imaginations. Some thought that Mars harbored strange beings that would conquer us and for others the prospect of alien life forms was electrifying. For many visionary leaders, Mars was something… Read More »
[July 14, 2015] In the movie Liar Liar, the star Jim Carrey is a fast track lawyer that can’t lie for 24 hours due to his son’s birthday wish. Of course, being a lawyer and forced to tell the complete truth in all circumstances is what makes this movie so funny. It is no secret that people lie.… Read More »
[July 13, 2015] In 1985 a good friend of mine, a mechanized Infantry Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, was “relieved” of his duties as a Platoon Leader – fired in civilian speak – because he failed to refuel his armored personnel carrier (APC) vehicles. Each platoon had 10 APC vehicles and our standard procedure to was refuel daily,… Read More »
[July 10, 2015] While the world is better off with the introduction of advanced technology, there is a curious but prophetic line of thought that says that we are also too dependent on that very technology.1 While this reasoning is well-known and true, it is also not that relevant. What is noteworthy is that there is a not-so-visible… Read More »
[July 09, 2015] At the United States’ premiere National Training Center located in the Mojave Desert of southern California, my Infantry Company conducted a classic dawn attack on a “simulated” enemy. We failed miserably in the attack. But our senior leaders turned it into a tremendous lesson on how to succeed on the battlefield; something I employed years… Read More »
[July 08, 2015] I listened intently to a small group of Albanian refugees, 16 years ago to the day in 1999, telling stories about their flight from their home country of Kosovo. They’d departed quickly; fleeing from an ethnic-inspired war that not only drove them from their homes but also saw the destruction of all records showing their… Read More »
[July 07, 2015] A good friend of mine called me to complain that his son was rejected by the U.S. Army despite being an athlete and having a good academic record. This prompted him to ask me what the requirements were for those wanting to enter the U.S. military. I told him that many people hear you’re not… Read More »
[July 06, 2015] I’m reminded of a political exhibit that overdramatically shows the contrast of Greek youths of the past with Greek young men today. On one side ancient Greek men: warriors, strong, independent, and harsh-looking. On the other side, the young Greeks of today: potheads, weak, wards of the state, but good-looking. This contrast couldn’t be less… Read More »