[November 22, 2020] Today’s article is not about dogs and ponies. Some readers might be disappointed because they interpret the title of my articles quite seriously. I’m using the phrase as a colloquium to mean “some elaborate or overblown affair or event.” I retired from the U.S. Army, and, unsurprisingly, I have witnessed many dog and pony shows,… Read More »
[November 21, 2020] Boss and leader are terms used interchangeably in the workplace setting. But there is a world of difference between both of them. While bosses command, leaders inspire; bosses place the blame, leaders accept the blame; bosses criticize, leaders encourage. If you are holding a supervisory role, reflect on your own actions to decide who you… Read More »
[November 20, 2020] Several years ago, I wrote about core American values to set a baseline for my leadership blog (see links here, here, and here). Core values say a lot about who we are and where we are going. This is why I spend so much of my time today with our military veterans; they understand what… Read More »
[November 19, 2020] I remember being called a lunatic by several of my commanders. I was an Infantry Company Commander when it first happened. My boss at the time, a Lieutenant Colonel, said that I was a “crazy man and lunatic” when it came to battle tactics. I ran across a poem by Vietnam War correspondent Joe Galloway… Read More »
[November 18, 2020] Just the other day, a note was sent to me from a long-time friend from my days as a young man. At my friend’s request, I mailed him a list of books that I had recently read. These were books that required a bit of thinking to understand fully. He asked because he was starting… Read More »
[November 17, 2020] In 2003, after the start of the Iraq War, several of my friends attending the U.S. Army War College (AWC) dropped out of the school to go with their unit to Iraq and fight. It was noble of them to do so, but there was a problem; none were allowed back into the AWC. As… Read More »
[November 16, 2020] As children, we learn at an early age that we are part of a family and with that comes both duties and responsibilities. Often we are given odd jobs around the home. I was fortunate to have many of these jobs outside the house, where I learned about hard work, saving my money, and leadership. … Read More »
[November 15, 2020] Just after midnight on May 1, 1898, the USS Olympia led a squadron of warships into Manila Bay. Spain and the U.S. had been at war for only a few days. As morning dawned, Commodore George Dewey hailed Olympia’s captain and spoke the now-famous words; You may fire when you are ready, Gridley. The ensuing… Read More »
[November 14, 2020] One of my personal interests has been understanding the way successful leaders think. I do this as a way to improve show up-and-coming leaders how to improve their leadership skills. A recent article by Andrew Stone, MD, at Eternal Soldier piqued my interest. It was titled, Did King Paul have PTSD? Dr. Stone proposed a… Read More »
[November 13, 2020] A successful Army 2-star general once told me never to let anyone control my schedule. Instead, he advised that I develop my own routine and stick by it. Having a routine and following it has many advantages, which I address below. I discovered that senior leaders must plan adequately, husband their time resources, and develop… Read More »