[January 8, 2019] Why concern ourselves with real rules for leaders? First, these are not suggestions but are things that leaders must do to be successful. Certainly, you can be a leader and disobey any number of rules, but you cannot be effective in the long term if you do. Today, my goal is to provide some additional… Read More »
[January 7, 2019] A few weeks ago I was challenged by a number of my friends to compose a list a set of rules for leaders (my Type A personality smiled upon their request). And by this they were clear in what they were saying; not suggestions, recommendations, or tips but real rules. I’ve laid out here a… Read More »
[January 6, 2019] There are many reasons leaders should express their opinion; especially when their expertise and knowledge is significant or where it would do the most good. Our leadership training and a vast array of research suggests that an inherent duty of great leaders is to provide a thoughtful opinion. However, counterintuitive advice advocates that as a… Read More »
[January 2, 2019] It’s difficult enough to be a leader each day, but every person must also be involved in sustaining leadership. The trick is to be motivated and stay effective. A good friend of mine said many times that the daily grind of leadership is difficult and is what sets apart the good from the great. “Getting… Read More »
[December 30, 2018] As a U.S. Army Private I witnessed a strange event during one of my unit’s formations that stuck with me. Our Platoon Leader, a new Second Lieutenant, was yelling at our platoon one day. Just then, our Commander strolled out, put his hand on the LT’s shoulder, and calmly gave him some advice. I couldn’t… Read More »
[December 24, 2018] It was Christmas Eve, 1826, and there were no little feet running through the house getting ready to open gifts. At the famous U.S. West Point Military Academy there was, however, good cheer that was about to erupt into a riot. What is known as the Great West Point Eggnog Riot was the result of… Read More »
[December 19, 2018] The teaching of history and its importance to understanding the human condition and as a way to improve our humanity has, unfortunately, been in decline for several decades.1 The lessons we can learn are beneficial and perhaps lost if we do not focus a renewed effort. Today, I’ll highlight the Chios Massacre of 1822 as… Read More »
[December 11, 2018] On this date, December 11, 1917, thirteen Buffalo Soldiers of the 24th U.S. Infantry Regiment were hanged for participation in a Houston, Texas riot, mutiny, and murder spree. There are lessons here for leaders and for also a lesson for those who are now attempting to have these men pardoned on the grounds that their… Read More »
[December 8, 2018] As a young boy, I often heard the story of Sun Tzu and the King’s concubines. I remember it well, much like the dirtier Canterbury Tales, and for a similar reason; it involved pretty women and sex … or maybe not. Sun Tzu was a Chinese general who is thought to have lived between 722… Read More »
[December 7, 2018] There will be times when even the most successful will suffer from significant setbacks but only from those harsh lessons can great success truly emerge. And so it was on this date, December 7, 1941, that the United States suffered greatly from the destructive attack on its naval base at Pearl Harbor.1 “It’s fine to… Read More »