[October 19, 2016] One of the greatest military commanders in history, Napoléon Bonaparte, once said that a leader is a dealer in hope. Leaders everywhere strive to give their followers hope … even when that message has only the flimsiest chance of success but especially during times of great danger. Hope is the great motivator. This is the… Read More »
[October 18, 2016] It’s my belief, based upon experience and study of leadership, that the proper development of good leaders requires a bad leader to give them lessons on how not to act. For my purposes here, when I write about a “bad leader” this refers to those with poor skills, not evil traits; not to confuse evil… Read More »
[October 17, 2016] There’s an old saying in the U.S. Army that goes something like this … “If you pass a problem by, you just set a new standard … a lower standard.” As a military leader when a problem (or issue, or concern) is overlooked, the troops will notice and see that leadership expectations are not as… Read More »
[October 16, 2016] The colder weather is certainly here in New York City with lows in the 40s and highs in the 60s. I’m glad it’s here because the Fall weather and the turning of the leaves to bright autumn colors is a distraction from the hype of the presidential elections … and it gives me motivation to… Read More »
[October 15, 2016] Understanding the thinking of senior leaders is a difficult task under the best of circumstances but in doing so, even if imperfect, it helps us understand how leaders approach problems and make important decisions. Such is the theme of my “who is” series here at theLeaderMaker.com. French politician Pierre Laval is an example of how… Read More »
[October 14, 2016] I’ve been asked this question many times and the answer is, of course, “no” … the characteristics of military leaders are the same as all other leaders. To some of my friends, they were a bit surprised by my answer because, like many people, they are confusing leadership style with leadership characteristics. This may only… Read More »
[October 13, 2016] A few days ago I got an email from a friend of mine in the Australian Army. He and I served together in Iraq fighting insurgents who were good at killing civilians and blowing things up. Often ignored when one is in the “middle of the fight” are those things that bring us together and… Read More »
[October 12, 2016] A number of years ago I had the opportunity to meet with and attend a talk by General Norman Schwarzkopf; the topic was on his philosophy of leadership. What I didn’t know at the time was that, like any good leader, he had no set definition of leadership. What he does make very clear is… Read More »
[October 11, 2016] In early September 2001 a conference was held at the Pentagon by the U.S. military joint staff on the “decline of leadership” within our ranks. The issues were a belief that many of our youngest and brightest lacked certain societal values and this was seen as a harbinger of things to come. Anytime over the… Read More »
[October 10, 2016] At the beginning of World War II, the outlook for the survival of Great Britain was bleak. The immense German military juggernaut had the English isle in its sights and Hitler was advancing his forces to destroy it. Thanks to its great leaders such as Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the immense sacrifices of its… Read More »