[June 18, 2019] It seems like yesterday that I joined the U.S. Army. That was 45 years ago, and my thinking hasn’t changed much since then. My values remain largely unchanged, and my commitment remains rock-solid. What has changed, however, was my devotion to the discipline necessary to succeed and my understanding that only through discipline can we… Read More »
[June 17, 2019] “Find a buddy. You’ve got 10 seconds,” the Drill Sergeant screamed at us as we arrived at Fort Polk, Louisiana for boot camp. Private Thibaut Lemieux, a Cajun from southern Louisiana, stood next to me and we instantly became part of the Army’s mandated buddy system. Thibaut (pronounced t-bow) and I were inseparable throughout the… Read More »
[June 16, 2019] If you’re Pilipino, you probably know about the Battle of Bud Bagsak (part of the Moro Rebellion, June 1913). Almost no one else has heard of the battle; certainly not in U.S. military circles. This final battle was the end of the resistance in the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). It was weird that I had not… Read More »
[June 13, 2019] A common failure among leaders is an inability to “see” into the future and thus to take steps to prepare for is arrival. Our daily existence depends upon it also. If we forget to pay our utility bills or fill your car up with gasoline, the effect is inconvenient but not catastrophic. “You were given… Read More »
[June 12, 2019] As a Buck Sergeant in the U.S. Army, I heard many military idioms and often wondered if military officers existed just to confuse sergeants. Since retiring from the army, referring to something like the long pole in the tent has become one of my favorite expressions. The problem is that it has more than one… Read More »
[June 10, 2019] Last year while visiting Arlington National Cemetery, I came upon a group of U.S. Marines who had taken a knee next to the grave of their Company Commander who had been killed in battle. They were showing their respect for the man who had saved them in 2004 at the Second Battle of Fallujah. To… Read More »
[June 8, 2019] There’s an old but common piece of advice for leaders; praise in public, punish in private. For me (I was always a bit slower at picking up good habits) it meant that when we give someone a reward, it should be done where others can see it. But if we want to punish someone for… Read More »
[June 5, 2019] The thumbnail to this article shows General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, speaking with paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division before their jump into France on this date, June 5, 1944. The day before D-Day, originally planned for this date but delayed due to poor weather, the great juggernaut of more than 1.5 million… Read More »
[June 4, 2019] Leadership does not follow a predetermined path. Good leaders do not base their decisions on a matrix, checklist, or a process but on what is right and moral; anything else is wrong and will fail. That is why leaders are given little or no fixed path to success. Often, the best guidance I got was… Read More »
[June 3, 2019] Like many before me who served in the military, I’m repeatedly asked what I miss about being in the service. “Do you miss the action?” is a common question but misses the point about why our military folks miss being around other service members. Military veterans will tell you that they miss the people because… Read More »