[May 17, 2021] Disasters are important and not necessarily for the reasons we might think. Lessons learned from the Hindenburg disaster, which occurred in 1937, can help us today. The Hindenburg crashed, killing 36 people at Lakehurst Naval Airstation, New Jersey. While their deaths were tragic to their families, their deaths helped end a high-risk form of transportation.1… Read More »
[May 16, 2021] There is no philosophy, political system, or weapon so formidable as the moral courage of free men and women. Moral courage is a deterrent to despots and tyrants of all stripes. That is why I was heartened by the moral courage that Canadian Pastor Artur Pawlowski showed for having an “unauthorized church service” in Canada.1… Read More »
[May 13, 2021] As a soldier, I always found that popular leaders possessed many traits we all find attractive; self-confidence, trustworthiness, and steadiness under fire. What many often lacked, however, was a good sense of strategic vision. On the rarest occasion, there will be that one person who has both, which means we have a truly great leader.… Read More »
[May 12, 2021] A story from Buzzfeed last week from leaked Facebook documents tells us that Facebook is trying to appease Starbucks’ dismay over “hate speech” on the social media platform.1 “Facebook is scrambling to prevent Starbucks from leaving its platform after the world’s largest coffee company said it was dismayed by hateful comments left on its posts… Read More »
[May 11, 2021] You will always find pockets of leadership, sometimes in the least likely places, but where it is sorely needed. On Mother’s Day this past Sunday, a paid advertisement in the Star Tribune appeared that addressed a serious problem. Mothers of black children who live in the state of Minnesota are fed up with a Public… Read More »
[May 9, 2021] A young Winston Churchill wrote in 1899 that Britain’s indulgence in war was an outgrowth of the betterment of all humanity. Like many leaders of the time, Churchill was a Baconian1 through and through. Englishman Francis Bacon had called for “the conquest of nature for the relief of man’s estate.” This idea was based on… Read More »
[May 8, 2021] I truly love sports. Sports are the one actual area of human endeavor that rests purely on merit. Athletes know that their performance is directly proportional to the effort they put into it. Caitlyn Jenner is one of those competitors who are vying for governor of California. I hope Caitlyn wins.1 Caitlyn Jenner was born… Read More »
[May 7, 2021] In 1968, my good friend Wilson asked me to see the movie “The Green Berets.” Starring John Wayne, the film was the first any boy in my neighborhood ever heard of the Green Berets; we were interested. Later that week, we saw the movie. That was Hollywood. Reality is better. U.S. President Kennedy wanted an… Read More »
[May 6, 2021] One of the themes of my leadership blog is that great leaders know when to break the rules.1 Put another way, they do things differently. What are those “rules” held so sacred by conventional wisdom that they are willing to break? Leaders have a different vision than ordinary folks, and great leaders know how to… Read More »
[May 5, 2021] A recent article in War Room, a U.S. Army War College’s professional publication, addresses an important strategic issue.1,2 With global proclivity to deter all war, senior political leaders must come to grips with a new age of economic, informational, and political competition. “The majority of military theories that underpin modern U.S. strategy and doctrine are… Read More »