[July 5, 2020] I first saw the men of 111th Sapper Company on the outskirts of Baghdad back in late 2003. What these Soldiers did was hard work. They had just returned from a grueling mission of finding and destroying roadside bombs and were getting their baseballs and gloves out for another fun game. Their commander, a red-haired… Read More »
[July 2, 2020] It’s familiar practice for senior military leaders to provide a day for junior enlisted men or women to step into the Commanders’ role. Being “Commander for a Day” is an opportunity to open one’s eyes to leadership responsibilities, hard work, and effort necessary to shoulder such a position.1 It also allows a Commander to walk… Read More »
[July 1, 2020] KP duty, cleaning toilets with a toothbrush, and painting rocks were the first jobs I had in the U.S. Army. I didn’t like any of them but especially didn’t like painting rocks because I saw no value in it. It was a mindless waste of time, “busy work.” But I did learn something from the… Read More »
[June 30, 2020] There is a weakness in U.S. military leaders and their peers in the civilian sector. For the past few decades there is a problem and it is not getting better. The flaw is not apparent but the fix is easy. When senior leaders have honest conversations with those that work for them their leadership effectiveness… Read More »
[June 29, 2020] If you’re a pessimist, you might like this story. This is the untold story of dying institutions across the world. Institutions like marriage, education, comedy, politics, religion, and the economy are taking it on the chin. They are being hard hit but are necessary to ensure that a society properly functions. They are the backbone… Read More »
[June 26, 2020] Past U.S. President Ronald Reagan is known as the “great communicator.” Like Reagan, all leaders want to clearly and accurately communicate their thinking through speech or the written word. That does not, however, always work out as intended. Conflicting messages are common, and I will address five important reasons here. There is no consistent and… Read More »
[June 25, 2020] Leader routines can be a handy way to strengthen job efficiency and effectiveness. We all know that. Today, I will comment on leader routines and how they differ from the average person. Routines provide structure, predictability, and stability. It reduces the chaos in our lives and is also true for leaders. The problem with leaders,… Read More »
[June 24, 2020] During my 40-year career in the U.S. military, people asked many times why I stayed in the Army. My response typically went something like this: “I don’t like being told what to do, but I like being part of something bigger than me.” Frankly, I never really gave the reasons much thought while I was… Read More »
[June 23, 2020] While training many years ago for deployment into combat, my unit participated in a live-fire exercise. When we came under fire, our job was to return fire, report, and then move out of the area if possible. My best friend’s job was radio operator. When the simulated attack took place, my friend Josh was freaking… Read More »
[June 22, 2020] Starting college was a major decision for me. No one, other than my mother, had any college time, and she only went for a short time. My family could provide no guidance or suggestions for me. My main problem, like so many, was that I had no money to pay for it. So I got… Read More »