[November 14, 2020] One of my personal interests has been understanding the way successful leaders think. I do this as a way to improve show up-and-coming leaders how to improve their leadership skills. A recent article by Andrew Stone, MD, at Eternal Soldier piqued my interest. It was titled, Did King Paul have PTSD? Dr. Stone proposed a… Read More »
[November 13, 2020] A successful Army 2-star general once told me never to let anyone control my schedule. Instead, he advised that I develop my own routine and stick by it. Having a routine and following it has many advantages, which I address below. I discovered that senior leaders must plan adequately, husband their time resources, and develop… Read More »
[November 9, 2020] A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a short article that outlined what I believed to be the 20 top characteristics of a great leader.1 A week later, political reporter Byron York at the Washington Examiner wrote that “exit pollsters” listed four qualities of a President. We both compared Joe Biden and Donald Trump.2 “If… Read More »
[November 6, 2020] Yogi Berra famously said of baseball games, “It’s not over till it’s over.” Like baseball games, the U.S. presidential election is not yet decided. With lawsuits, recounts, and other legal actions underway to sort out the real vote count, it’s hard to be optimistic about our country’s direction. Joe Biden may eventually be president of… Read More »
[November 5, 2020] I’ll begin by noting that the term caretaker leadership is almost never used. The reason is that the two terms are an oxymoron when used together. I have discovered, however, that caretaker leadership happens all the time when a leader is unwilling or unable to fulfill the inherent duties of leadership and yet remains in… Read More »
[November 3, 2020] Today is Election Day and the final day to cast your vote for President of the United States. This election has been billed as the most crucial election since Abraham Lincoln won against General George McClellan in 1864. Regardless of what you are told, no one knows how this day will end, a win for… Read More »
[November 2, 2020] Can dogs be heroes? Some people think so, and I agree with them. A year ago, a daring raid was conducted by U.S. Special Forces targeting ISIS terrorist leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The hero dog Conan chased al-Baghdadi into a tunnel, resulting in the terrorist leader blowing himself up.1 This highly-classified, dramatic operation took place… Read More »
[November 1, 2020] I’m not a golfer, but many of my friends are fanatical about the game, playing regardless of the weather and sometimes disregarding their health. Occasionally I’ll play a game, but those same crazy friends put a lot of pressure on me to win. The sweat pours off my forehead as I try to make that… Read More »
[October 31, 2020] In the first half of twentieth-century America, boxing was one of the most popular sports; in popularity, number one tied with baseball. The fighters were some of the toughest and fastest people ever. As my ex-Drill Sergeant Bryant used to say, they were tough SOBs. Growing up, I got to meet many WWII and Korean… Read More »
[October 30, 2020] Military jargon permeates our society. Headspace and timing, though, is a technical term meaning to adjust weapon systems so they fire correctly. Usually used with the Browning .50 caliber heavy machinegun, adjusting headspace and timing is critical for its proper use. However, I will be using as jargon rather than technically. The U.S. Department of… Read More »