[April 3, 2018] There’s an old Mexican proverb that goes something like this, He who walks with wolves, learns to howl.1 This is a variation on advice that is found in since ancient times in the writings of ancient philosophers and from the Bible. It means that when we associate ourselves with good and wise people, we will… Read More »
[April 2, 2018] As a new Second Lieutenant, I was originally a slob; my clothes were everywhere, my refrigerator had expired food in it, and my desk at work was disorganized. One day I had a grizzled, old sergeant comes into my office to give me a piece of constructive advice. Get organized, he said, and while you’re… Read More »
[April 1, 2018] There’s an old adage that there are no atheists in foxholes. It comes from observations of ordinary people and soldiers made by Ernie Pyle; the famous World War II news correspondent. His observations were not unlike that of our local clergyman who sees more pews in churches filled across the nation, today … Easter Sunday.… Read More »
[March 30, 2018] Soldiers in the military often encounter situations in a battle that are difficult to navigate because of conflicting values. Those values underpin how they are supposed to behave. For example, if a commander decides to attack an enemy hideout, it is likely that U.S. soldiers will die. The moral conflict is clear; protecting one’s soldiers… Read More »
[March 29, 2018] Riding my horse in the backcountry of West Virginia, one day I ran upon a man living alone in a shack by himself. I stopped to water my horse and speak with the man who looked to be one of the toughest men on the face of the Earth. From him, I learned more about… Read More »
[March 28, 2018] Years ago I had the opportunity to lead an overnight backpacking trip in western Arizona. I was still young back then, but my backpacking experience was broad. During the trip we gave our hiking equipment a thorough test of its reliability. From a local couple in the hiking party, I was to learn that L.L.… Read More »
[March 27, 2018] Many years ago I learned something many leaders discover only by accident. I learned those good leaders ask themselves if they can be better leaders – personally do more to succeed and provide better care for those who they are in charge. This “inward criticism” is an on-going look at ways to improve leadership performance.… Read More »
[March 26, 2018] A few months ago, I was listening to a speech given by a university president. He identified some of the problems he believed were necessary to solve and the only way to do that was through better leadership. After the speech, which received a standing ovation (it was very good), I asked him at dinner… Read More »
[March 25, 2018] As a leader you will get blamed for bad things happening, even if it is not your fault. A few days ago United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz said in a speech to a business group that the airline had badly handled a number of incidents on its flights.1 From a passenger being dragged off a… Read More »
[March 23, 2018] I grew up in the Deep South and knew just about everybody in the small town my family lived in. The local sheriff was a good man but to me, he was just another adult. Later I discovered that he was actually a town hero because years before I was born he had stood at… Read More »