[April 13, 2015] I’ve often been asked what is it that distinguishes the very best leaders from all the other successful leaders. Is it an ability to create a long-lasting legacy of achievements? Many believe this to be true; that great leaders create a legacy of accomplishments that seem to defy normal human experience and often under extreme… Read More »
[April 12, 2015] While riding on the Q Train in New York City the other day, I couldn’t help but overhear an argument between two young men about who would be best for the next U.S. president. The upcoming election will offer us students of leadership an opportunity to study how to measure leadership in our leaders –… Read More »
[April 11, 2015] On the eve of combat in 2003 to take the country of Iraq from an evil dictator, allied troops were reminded of the values we placed in honorable service. While there was no doubt we would win the war by force, we also knew that the upcoming combat would be dirty, nasty, and deadly. We… Read More »
[April 10, 2014] In the U.S. Army we are fond of saying the “maximum effective range of an excuse is zero meters.” This is a play on words that harks to the effective killing range of a weapon system. I learned this the hard way when, on my first day as a platoon leader, several of my unit’s… Read More »
[April 09, 2015] On this date in 1865, exactly 150 years ago and largely unnoticed today, the Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant; thus ended the bloodiest point in the history of the United States. General Grant was now to play a crucial role in the difficult task of healing the wounds… Read More »
[April 8, 2015] The best piece of simple advice I ever received as a junior military officer was that the reality about leadership is that it’s all about people. Senior leaders know that empathy helps us create and maintain bonds of trust; acting as the lubricant that keeps relationships on track. “You can easily judge the character of… Read More »
[April 07, 2015] Game on! My high school track coach used to tell us that we had to give everything we had everyday to be winners. Each day at practice he would yell “game on,” meaning we were expected to jump into immediate action to prove ourselves worthy to be on the team. Likewise in leaders, there is… Read More »
[April 06, 2015] Rolling Stone Magazine’s publication of a false tale on an alleged rape at the University of Virginia was a scandal that reaffirms the fact that America’s media has a bias for anything that fits their particular ideology. Leadership at the magazine failed and yet there is no accountability for their failure that did not allow… Read More »
[April 05, 2015] When my friends and I played little league baseball as young boys, our coach would tell us we had to have heart to play well. He was also adamant that we help move the game along briskly so our families would enjoy it more as spectators. Today, decades later, Major League Baseball (MLB) has discovered… Read More »
[April 04 2015] There is evidence, mostly circumstantial, that leaders today are less adaptable to change than ever before. Furthermore, leaders are likely to be also less resilient, lacking in courage, and less truthful. No surprise then that most Americans have less confidence in leadership than ever before. The world is changing at a pace that seems to… Read More »