[June 4, 2019] Leadership does not follow a predetermined path. Good leaders do not base their decisions on a matrix, checklist, or a process but on what is right and moral; anything else is wrong and will fail. That is why leaders are given little or no fixed path to success. Often, the best guidance I got was… Read More »
[May 22, 2019] I once knew a highly-motivated Army Lieutenant who was about as aggressive as an officer can be without crossing the line between motivated and crazy. She had a saying, “I’ll give them my triple seven.” She meant to motivate soldiers that she would use her size 7 boot, stick it 7-inches up their butt, and… Read More »
[May 20, 2019] Yesterday, a good friend alerted me to a recent lecture by Thomas E. Ricks1 on why WWII generals were more successful than those in Korea, Vietnam, or Iraq/Afghanistan. There are several outstanding leader lessons but one on U.S. General George C. Marshall’s essential qualities of a general stood out, and I thought I would pass… Read More »
[May 14, 2019] Anyone interested in beginning their career as a comedian should take full confidence in the fact that there plenty of funny material about stupid stuff people do. We’ve all done stupid things, and those experiences are great for comedians and for learning how to be a better person. Admit our action was stupid, apologize, learn… Read More »
[May 13, 2019] There’s an old axiom that says that soldiers are terrified of war because they are the ones who experience the brunt of the battle. The idea that soldiers are terrified of war, for this reason, is not true. Soldiers fear war because they are scared of letting their buddies down. They are terrified to fail… Read More »
[May 11, 2019] If there ever was a common link between senior leaders in the U.S. military and those who chose leadership on a different path, we can find it in their lessons learned. U.S. Air Force General “Pete” Piotrowski is the embodiment of many of such lessons; tested, confirmed to work, and written down for us all… Read More »
[May 8, 2019] A college friend of mine is a retired logger. Originally from the backwoods of Montana, he is a bear of a man; hot-tempered and blunt with a quick comeback. Before I really knew him, he invited me out once for some local tree cutting to stock his oversized woodstove. On our way to a stand… Read More »
[April 28, 2019] An elemental part of intelligent leadership means being able to hold an idea in your mind and not accept or reject it. To examine an idea for its value and to entertain its significance is difficult. Nothing is more challenging than the ability to study, debate, and think through a concept without immediately accepting or… Read More »
[April 5, 2019] There’s an old stereotype about high-ranking politicians; they cannot function without an entourage of hangers-on, large staffs, and a litany of helpers and attention seekers. It would seem our political leaders are out of touch with the world because they exist in a bubble, dependent upon others. In the military, we call any such person… Read More »
[March 24, 2019] Henry Ford was one of America’s foremost industrialists; revolutionalizing assembly-line modes of production for the automobile. It comes as no surprise that the title of my article today is one of his direct quotes; don’t find fault, find a remedy. “Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve… Read More »