[June 28, 2019] Growing up, I always knew my uncle was in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Named after my granddaddy Smith (married to Bigmama), “Junior” was a man of serious integrity, family-focused, and a person you could trust to help no matter what. Yesterday, I received his 1944 Bluejacket’s Manual; something I will forever keep… Read More »
[June 21, 2019] It had been a long day. The temperature was hovering around 120 degrees since about 10 am and the smell of garbage and filth permeated the air. As the afternoon sun bore down on our convoy, driving the temperatures up in our armored vehicles, we could see the glint of binoculars from the guard tower.… Read More »
[June 20, 2019] It is often said that the greatest leaders in the world are the ones that want you to succeed. That is true, of course. But it is also true that any leader who is jealous of or fears your success is one that can never be trusted. “The greatest gift of leadership is a boss… Read More »
[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 »