[May 15, 2017] Our staff headquarters was going through a Transition of Authority (ToA) whereby an incoming military unit takes over the combat duties from an outgoing unit. When I arrived in July of that year, the violence in Iraq was the highest it had ever been. To complicate my transition into Engineer Staff operations, I had to… Read More »
[May 14, 2017] Leaders lead by example; by being the best person for the job and showing others how to act, talk, and even how to think. But as of late, we’ve all been witness to senior political leaders not following this proven way of good leadership when they complain about people and things ‘preventing’ them from doing… Read More »
[May 13, 2017] Practical, day-to-day leadership is something that must be practiced and that is why I began this series on good habits several years ago. At the time, I wrote some good advice and my first was to never assume anything. It was also the time that I wanted to write that one of the best pieces… Read More »
[May 12, 2017] This may seem rather obvious to most of us but getting a jump start on leader tasks is simply good, practical advice. Overlooked advice, I might add, is when leaders fail to take the time and effort to prepare themselves in advance when they have the chance to do so. Timely preparation gives the leader… Read More »
[May 11, 2017] You’ve been there! Your boss wants something done right away and a coworker is right there to “help” you … putting obstacles in your way at every step. Good leaders, it should be emphasized, thrive on obstacles in their path because they have the foresight and confidence to overcome them. In the Spring of 2004,… Read More »
[May 10, 2017] The day was August 29, 1974, the temperature over 100 degrees, and the ants were all over us … but we never forgot our lesson that day. Fort Polk, Louisiana is known for its biting critters and tough Drill Sergeants and on this Thursday afternoon we were low crawling our way to “destroy” a simulated… Read More »
[May 9, 2017] Occasionally I run across a book, typically out of print, which gives a unique view on the thinking of a leader whose experiences during a historic time, providing me with insight into how a senior leader thinks. The Wartime Journals of Charles A. Lindbergh (1970) is just such a book. In it we can see… Read More »
[May 8, 2017] Those of us not adults on May 8, 1945 have no idea the rejoicing that took place on this date 72 years ago. Victory in Europe was achieved at enormous cost in lives; so much given the price paid is simply beyond human imagination. Yet when Nazi Germany unconditionally surrendered, and later Imperial Japan, the… Read More »
[May 7, 2017] It comes with being a leader … eventually you’re going find yourself paying for the mistakes of other leaders. New leaders should get used to the idea and present themselves professionally so the least amount of damage is done to them, other leaders, and to their vocation. Practically, the best way to handle being blamed… Read More »
[May 5, 2017] Timely and accurate decisions are the linchpin to any good organization. But making decisions, especially hard decisions, is not always easy or popular; moral courage is required. A general officer and mentor of mine once said that senior leaders often have to choose between two terrible alternatives; it comes with the territory of a leader. … Read More »