[September 30, 2015] In a previous post I listed the characteristics people like in a leader. What attracts people to a leader is of course no secret, but what is it that attracts leaders to other leaders? What leaders like in leaders, on the other hand, can be mysterious because so little is written about it. “Moral courage… Read More »
[September 29, 2015] On this date in 1982, twelve-year old Mary Kellerman died after taking a capsule of Tylenol pain medicine laced with cyanide. It’s now been 33 years since her death and the poisoning murders of six others remain unsolved. But some good came from the murders in that it prompted improved packaging of over the counter… Read More »
[September 28, 2015] There are some leaders to which we’re drawn and others that are just simply our bosses. What is it that attracts us to certain leaders while not to others is no mystery, for it has been written about since the beginning of recorded history. Yet it remains elusive to all but a few. Those things… Read More »
[September 27, 2015] Whenever I think of the maxim that real leaders don’t panic, I’m drawn to the actions of the men of 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment at the 1965 Battle of la Drang, Vietnam. Documented in the movie, We Were Soldiers Once … And Young, Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore and his men fought off a much… Read More »
[September 26, 2015] After the capture of the capital city of Baghdad Iraq in early 2004, coalition engineers were building confinement facilities for the thousands of prisoners. One of the engineers was U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Paul Smith. On April 4th his men were ambushed by a large Iraqi Republican Guard force. Smith was wounded early but… Read More »
[September 25, 2015] George, a good friend of mine from our past army days, used to tell me often that, “I never drink good coffee because I might like it and then have to pay for it.” You see, in U.S. Army dining facilities and in our offices, coffee is most often found hot and free. Later, after… Read More »
[September 24, 2015] Truly great leaders are rare and they are rare for a very good reason; they thrive on ambiguity while everyone else is halted by it. The very best people that I’ve ever known are motivated, inspired, and capable of decisive action despite ambiguity and the uncertain environment that is fostered in it. Moreover, it is… Read More »
[September 23, 2015] A recent Gallup poll in the United States found that almost half say that government is an “immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.”1 While the polling data only goes back to 2003 when the question was first asked, it’s no new revelation. I’ve also written about the decline in the trust… Read More »
[September 22, 2015] This past weekend I was giving advice to teenagers who wanted to attend West Point Military Academy and become a U.S. Army officer. All five of them are 15 years old and attend public high schools here in New York City. They surprised me because I’m rarely asked about military life any more by young… Read More »
[September 21, 2015] Recently, the Republican candidates for President debated in their second televised debate. I rounded up a few more people to provide some senior leadership analysis and insight into how successful leaders viewed the debate. While their views are insightful, they do differ from the common view on who came out on top and on how… Read More »