[December 12, 2019] A few years ago, I wrote a couple of articles on some of the “good” and “bad” things I learned while in the military.1,2 Likewise, there are important things that helped me be successful during my U.S. Army career that I didn’t learn in the military. My grandmother would be proud since she helped a… Read More »
[December 11, 2019] Yesterday I published an article answering the question, Why do soldiers fight? See it at this link (here). It’s an old question but one that helps us peer into the motivations of the men who see combat up-close and personal. Today, I’ll be providing some interesting and perhaps surprising information on other motivations. “I hold… Read More »
[December 10, 2019] Why do soldiers fight? This age-old question is as valid yesterday as it is today. When I was young, I had the honor of being around recently-returning Korean War veterans. I would listen a great deal and hear them tell the tales of why they fought. This subject is in two parts. The first, today,… Read More »
[December 9, 2019] I’ve had the personal good fortune to speak with military veterans who were in the most desperate, destructive battles of the 20th Century.1 I learned a few things from them that I will pass along today. The most important lesson they gave me was – do those things you fear. Such advice seems counterproductive. Why… Read More »
[December 8, 2019] One dominant theme in the study of leadership is to prove oneself worthy of holding the mantle of responsibility. A successful leader is one who has built a reputation for accountability, trustworthiness, and sound judgment.1 How one does this is subject to debate. But when a leader is tested in the crucible of fire, there… Read More »
[December 7, 2019] Seventy-Eight years ago, at approximately 8 a.m., Imperial Japanese planes appeared over the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Less than two hours later the surprise attack was over, and the American naval fleet in the Pacific lay in smoking ruins. U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt declared the next day that this is a “date which will live… Read More »
[December 6, 2019] Leaders have ambition. All types of leaders possess this trait; good, bad, or indifferent. I like to think about ambition like gasoline; it acts as an accelerant. Gasoline is used in vehicles to make them go, and we benefit, but gasoline can also cause highly destructive fires. If you are a leader, be prepared to… Read More »
[December 5, 2019] In Part 1 of this two-part series, I asked the question, “What is a hero?” and gave what I thought was a meaningful answer. In today’s article, I’ll address a more fundamental question that is germane to our understanding of human nature and of the character of leaders. “Why do we have heroes?” Growing up… Read More »
[December 4, 2019] As young boys in the 1950s, we listened intently to returning Korean War veterans to get some idea of what war was like. We asked stupid questions of these veterans. Who were the best fighters? Did you kill any Communists? Were you a hero? There was something that drove us to understand what it took… Read More »
[December 3, 2019] My first winter in West Germany was a difficult time for me after growing up in the warm Deep South of the United States. Not only was winter cold and snow new to me, but in late 1974, Germany was experiencing terror attacks by the Baader-Meinhof Gang. I was stationed at a nuclear weapons’ storage… Read More »