[July 7, 2017] U.S. President Ronald Reagan once said of his political opponents that if “you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” Leadership is about solving problems and senior leadership is about solving hard problems. That is exactly what is happening with the loose coalition of nations led by the United States which… Read More »
[July 6, 2017] Henry Ford was fond of talking about success and how thinking was the hardest part of work which makes it all possible. That is, he explained, why so few people engage in thinking. It follows that people are quick to jump onto a popular cause or fad; we just call it jumping on the bandwagon. … Read More »
[July 5, 2017] In early 2004 on the outskirts of Baghdad during one of our firefights with insurgents, a calm voice came over the radio describing the critical situation in matter-of-fact tone. U.S. Army Captain Steve Bates1 had learned as a Boy Scout that staying calm helped when others were losing their composure. That was also his secret… Read More »
[July 4, 2017] It is incumbent upon all leaders to remember and recognize important historical events for their present-day leadership value and for the significance in our society. To do otherwise would make us irresponsible, obviously ignorant, and ill-mannered. Such it is that we should remember the march of U.S. troops in Paris, France exactly 100 years ago… Read More »
[July 3, 2017] As we look back across time it is difficult to ascertain the qualities of most of humankind’s best leadership except for those who have made deep contributions. Davy Crockett is one of those who tackles our imaginations and pricks our interest in many ways. He is a true American folk hero and fits that mold… Read More »
[July 2, 2017] Many young boys have had the opportunity to belong to the Boy Scouts and learn about good character development, citizenship, and personal fitness. My son Sean and I spent many days camping and enjoying activities that a small town environment encourages through the local Boy Scout program. The scouting experience embodies those essential values key… Read More »
[July 1, 2017] Albert Einstein was an remarkable man. In the recent miniseries “Genius” produced by Ron Howard, the script looks at the peculiar Einstein through the lens of modern-day society. Einstein, like all great people, did make mistakes but quickly learned from them. Only those that truly put forth a rigorous effort will be a success when… Read More »
[June 29, 2017] There’ve been several lively discussions on leadership blogs and in popular news stories lately about what young leaders lack the most. Many say that a lack of relevant experience is their greatest shortfall and others tell us that young leaders are just plain self-centered. For the sake of a good argument, I will suggest that… Read More »
[June 28, 2017] I was fortunate to attend one of the U.S. military’s General Officer courses a number of years ago and to develop a number of friendships that endure to this day. Called CAPSTONE, the four week course covers a number of major issues affecting national security.1 One lesson the course repeatedly reinforced was that leadership means… Read More »
[June 27, 2017] This is my third in a series of posts dealing with new ideas; especially political leadership ideas that are both difficult to hold and to realize. Today, I’m presenting the thinking of Maajid Nawaz, British political activist, author, and statesman. He is also a former member of the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir and was imprisoned… Read More »