[April 28, 2021] One hundred-one years ago, in April 1910, Theodore Roosevelt spoke about citizenry in a Republic. His speech in Sorbonne Paris is popularly known as ‘The Man in the Arena.‘ An oft-repeated theme of my leadership blog deals with individual responsibility, and Roosevelt won great acclaim for his emphasis on personal duty and accountability. If anything,… Read More »
[April 27, 2021] “To the shores of Tripoli …” I’ve sung the words to the Marines’ Hymn more times than I can remember. I know much of their history, as I learned their past for the heroic battles fought. The era of the Barbary Pirates was on my list of readings for a long time because that is… Read More »
[April 26, 2021] In the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers (2001), Episode 5, Lieutenant Winters gives the task of escorting German prisoners to the rear.1 He tells one of his trigger-happy soldiers, You’ve got on round [of ammo] … I want to make sure all the prisoners make it. There is a lesson in ethics in this scene. … Read More »
[April 25, 2021] War is a common condition of humans. In truth, it can be convincingly argued that the history of our human condition is perpetual war. Peace is an aberration. I want to address a comment I hear often … “Given that war is so common, is there glory in war?” To begin, I want to be… Read More »
[April 23, 2021] With recent comments by U.S. President Joe Biden about the trial of police officer Derek Chauvin, undue command influence has made a comeback as a topic of senior leader conversations. Leaders exert influence; that is what they do. But when leaders bias an otherwise independent agency or process, things can go bad quickly. Leadership is… Read More »
[April 22, 2021] Like so many Americans, I learned about the righteousness of the Allied fight against Hitler’s and Mussolini’s fascism and Japan’s imperialism during World War II. Yet, there was plenty of unfinished business of the war that would plague the world for decades – a new book by Sean McMeekin challenge’s that view. In his book,… Read More »
[April 21, 2021] Just this past weekend, our local Boy Scout troop had a “day camp” where we spent time having fun and learning valuable skills. These skills are the very type needed to succeed as a responsible young man. Speaking with the boys, I learned something about their weekend I would like to share. Songs are a… Read More »
[April 20, 2021] Philosophers and great sages of times past have asked the same question and have found their answers imperfect. “Why is it that men throughout history chose to die in battle with their friends rather than flee on their own and survive?” The answer? Not for glory but for brotherhood. “The only thing that makes battle… Read More »
[April 19, 2021] We’re all guilty of doing it, rushing through to a major decision. Doing so is shortsighted, and it can affect us most regrettably. In one of the Indiana Jones films, a bad guy hopes to obtain immortality by drinking from a golden, jewel-encrusted cup. He dies. The guardian of the cup says he chose …… Read More »
[April 18, 2021] My maternal grandmother was fond of saying that we are placed here on this earth to help others. She was a Christian, a mother of four children, and strong-willed. We called her Bigmama, and she was a leader with an apron. “I won’t tell you how to be a good boy. I’m telling you to… Read More »