[January 16, 2019] The silent movie A Dog’s Life (1918) starring Charlie Chaplin is a short 33-minute comedy about a tramp and his dog. Written, directed, and filmed during World War I, the need by the American public to witness a display of compassion was a necessary distraction from the horrors of the war. American forces under U.S.… Read More »
[January 15, 2019] For everything we do in life rules govern how we behave, talk, think and accomplish our missions. Anytime we fail to do so or go off in an unauthorized direction; there are unpredictable but usually negative consequences. Going off the reservation is how this is often described. In early 2007 while in combat north of… Read More »
[January 14, 2019] About two decades ago, psychologists hit upon a discovery that stopped them in their tracks. They had proposed that the more responsibility people possess, the more stress they have and thus less satisfaction in their life. It turns out, counterintuitive to their way of thinking, that the tough job of shouldering responsibility is directly related… Read More »
[January 11, 2019] You don’t need a chest full of medals, possess a fabulous resume, or have a handsome face to have it. Command presence is a leader’s projection to everyone present of an advanced form of authority, trust, and respect. Often described as an allusive quality, command presence is plainly noticeable when you observe someone firmly in… Read More »
[January 8, 2019] Why concern ourselves with real rules for leaders? First, these are not suggestions but are things that leaders must do to be successful. Certainly, you can be a leader and disobey any number of rules, but you cannot be effective in the long term if you do. Today, my goal is to provide some additional… Read More »
[January 7, 2019] A few weeks ago I was challenged by a number of my friends to compose a list a set of rules for leaders (my Type A personality smiled upon their request). And by this they were clear in what they were saying; not suggestions, recommendations, or tips but real rules. I’ve laid out here a… Read More »
[January 5, 2019] “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” is a well-known phrase from the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It goes on to say that these are “unalienable rights” which have been given to all humans by their creator. The best leaders are those who push us toward such common goals (as noted in this phrase) and… Read More »
[January 3, 2019] Communism is a failure. It has failed historically in every form it takes, regardless of the political environment, an abundance of resources, the power of its leadership, or strength of its citizens. And so it is with the communist movement known as Shining Path Maoist Marxists who nearly brought the country of Peru to its… Read More »
[January 2, 2019] It’s difficult enough to be a leader each day, but every person must also be involved in sustaining leadership. The trick is to be motivated and stay effective. A good friend of mine said many times that the daily grind of leadership is difficult and is what sets apart the good from the great. “Getting… Read More »
[January 1, 2019] Each year I take a little time to gaze into the murky crystal ball of the future and attempt to predict what hot leadership topics will be available for us to discuss. Why should I do this prediction thing, even when those prognostications turn out to be wrong? Well, I get to put my thinking… Read More »