[May 22, 2018] Yesterday I heard celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey talk about indicators of mediocre restaurants. Of course, Mr. Ramsey is famous for screaming into the faces of more subpar be chefs than anyone ever. One of his indicators is a waiter telling you they have a soup of the day.1 When I heard him talk, I immediately… Read More »
[May 21, 2018] Strategy is the commerce of leaders. It is what separates the good from the bad and the eager from the lazy. This is why, in the study of history, strategic blunders are worth a closer look for important lessons that make us better. It has been said that the greatest strategic blunder during World War… Read More »
[May 20, 2018] Prairie dog warfare is an obscure reference to tenacious close-quarter fighting; the type seen in several famous U.S. Civil War battles and with Japanese defenders during World War II. I predict we will see more references to this kind of fighting in Western politics. Confederate Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner coined the term, as much… Read More »
[May 19, 2018] We’ve all witnessed those in leadership positions who were there for all the wrong reasons. It matters not what profession one is in, there will always be someone who is there that should be there. I saw it in my first U.S. Army Company Commander who had already been promoted twice and had one of… Read More »
[May 18, 2018] There is a lot to be said about military discipline and it is seen, often, as something both good and bad. What I have personally found is that most of the information I find on the subject is narrow and is not particularly helpful. Stereotypes and a great deal of erroneous information is out in… Read More »
[May 16, 2018] George Godwin has been a good friend of mine since I was a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Infantry. He likes to think of himself as a pretty good leader, and in reality, he is an exceptional leader. What does he do that most of us don’t? He is always asking people to please argue… Read More »
[May 13, 2018] The first time a soldier goes to war, that individual wonders how they will react when confronted with a situation that requires them to kill another human being. Will the soldier do as they are trained, freeze-up, run away, or do something else? This unknown is the essence of the Trolley Problem. When confronted by… Read More »
[May 12, 2018] It is often said that those who possess a thick skin are likely to live more satisfying lives and that is more successful too. From research into this area of study, we also see that those who are emotionally sensitive do not make good leaders. This is long been a question of social inquiry; why… Read More »
[May 11, 2018] On a quiet night where little enemy activity had been a pleasant break from the incessant mortar and rocket attacks on our small outpost, one lone rocket hit our unit’s ammunition storage bunker. Things went haywire after that. But leaders don’t panic and we were able to contain the fire and explosions rather quickly. Real… Read More »
[May 10, 2018] Leadership, in its most fundamental capacity, is not that different from a deep friendship. If a good friend calls upon you to help, then most of us would go to them as quickly as possible. In my first tour of combat in the Iraq War, I had a friend tell me, If you call, I’ll… Read More »