[May 18, 2020] One of my Fort Benning Basic Infantry teammates was notorious for his lack of body cleanliness. When you live side-by-side with someone, you get to see and smell their good and bad side. We told Christopher to keep his clothing, gear, and room clean. His poor performance in school was a reflection of a messy… Read More »
[May 17, 2020] The seriousness of the current COVID-19 pandemic cannot be overlooked. However, there is a small but building counter-argument that the lockdowns established and enforced by state and local governments may have been an overreach. Today, I’ll be listing a few observations on the pandemic that are trending from medical, political, and legal organizations. “The most… Read More »
[May 16, 2020] “Read my lips; no new taxes.” In 1988, then-presidential candidate George H.W. Bush made a simple, clear promise that he would not raise taxes on the American people if elected. Later, he failed to live up to his promise. His political opponents repeatedly questioned his trustworthiness, and he lost re-election. When leaders make a promise,… Read More »
[May 15, 2020] The first time I heard of Jersey Mike’s sub shop was while attending a New York Yankee’s baseball game in their stadium in the Bronx. What I didn’t know was that their subs are enormously popular in New Jersey and New York. Since their founding in 1956, the owner has expanded his sub-franchise into a… Read More »
[May 13, 2020] Watching the news on television and reading local newspapers, I have become saturated with health professionals, politicians, and pundits that are encouraging fear. It matters not where I go for information or about what is happening anywhere in the world; there is a steady drumbeat of dire predictions that the world is about to come… Read More »
[May 12, 2020] One of the most challenging questions asked of me was what defines “evil.” Evil, and what it means and does not mean, has been a subject of human thinking since the beginning of our species. Today, I’ll address who I believe is the cruelest leader in the twentieth century, and in doing so, incorporate my… Read More »
[May 10, 2020] In the late 1960s, my friend Wilson and I watched an adventure television episode of The Rat Patrol. This television series loosely based on the actual World War II exploits of the allied Australian, New Zealander, and British defenders of Tobruk, Libya. The Siege of Tobruk by German forces in 1941, commanded by Field Marshall… Read More »
[May 9, 2020] Yesterday, I published Part 1 of this series on how senior leaders gain respect. It bears repeating, “It is not possible to force people to respect you.” Everyone seems to recognize that respect helps smooth the way toward getting the mission accomplished. Thus, the desire for respect will come as no surprise. “How do leaders… Read More »
[May 8, 2020] Let’s begin with an admission; it is not possible to force people to respect you. We all would like to be respected, so what does it take for leaders to gain respect? The reasons we “want” respect are irrelevant for our discussion here, but I do believe that desire is a distant, deep-seated psychological need.… Read More »
[May 6, 2020] I’ll be right upfront. Until last week, I’d never heard of the Flower Wars. The bias in my study of war has been colored by the classic predisposition to learn from European and Asian-centric warfare. Today, I’ll make up for this a bit by introducing Aztec warriors into my leadership blog. From the reconstruction of… Read More »