[October 1, 2024] Now that Halloween is coming shortly and with an election coming up, it would be appropriate to take on the frightening topic of politics influencing organizations. A question often asked is whether leaders allow politics to influence their organization’s mission and values. It’s a question often addressed at the most senior levels in nearly every… Read More »
[September 30, 2024] Recall from the Old Testament the story of Moses as he wanders in the desert with his Israelites, who are recently freed from slavery. The desert is not such a good place to be, and we read that the Israelites were squabbling, and they went to Moses to adjudicate on their behalf. At this point,… Read More »
[September 29, 2024] A long-running theme in the analysis of how poorly Middle Eastern militaries performed on the battlefield is reviewed in an article by Norvell de Atkine titled Why Arabs Lose Wars. The most common reason given is culture, but de Atkine believes such thinking can lead to false conclusions. “As these examples suggest, when culture is… Read More »
[September 28, 2024] Dogs are great. It does not matter whether the dog can follow commands, learn tricks, or retrieve a ball. The problem that folks tell me about often is that their dog is just dumb. Maybe they’re hoping for a magical cure, but I have to tell them that, for them, having a dog is good… Read More »
[September 27, 2024] I’m back with another great book telling the stories that need telling about dustoff pilots in the Vietnam War. The first book was “The Helicopter Whisperers, Vol I” by Phil Marshall, which I reviewed here on Monday (see link). Today, I will highlight COL Doug Moore’s book “A Bullet Through the Helmet” and, yes, the… Read More »
[September 26, 2024] As I look back from my late adult years, I’m now more appreciative of my Mom for pushing me – as a skinny little tike – outside the house to play with my brother and my friends. And also for her to restrict how much time I could spend watching television. The weather was unimportant,… Read More »
[September 25, 2024] I’m fond of writing about our heroes, and one that I’ve been planning to write about is New York City firefighter Joe Torrillo. If you’re not from the Northeast, then you may not have heard of him. But I think Joe’s firefighter journey to hero status is worth telling and we are all morally obligated… Read More »
[September 24, 2024] Up until the past couple of decades, a person could relocate to another geographic area, gain useful employment, and start a family, leaving past transgressions in the past. The permanency of your past, however, is here to stay and is on display for all to see. Many well-known people have experienced embarrassment when their past… Read More »
[September 23, 2024] By luck, I just obtained two great books on helicopter rescues during the Vietnam War for review. The first is “The Helicopter Whisperers, Vol I” (2021) by Phil Marshall, and the second is “A Bullet Through the Helmet” (2019) by Douglas E. Moore. When Marshall’s book arrived, my wife said that I might need someone… Read More »
[September 22, 2024] There’s an old adage for men that says if they want to learn about relationships with women, then don’t take advice from women. With that in mind, today, I’m going to highlight some of the ideas of Pearl Davis (see her ideas, too in earlier posts). She recently interviewed 1,000 women over a year and… Read More »