[November 1, 2018] After eight years of a bitter struggle, the U.S. Revolutionary War was coming to a close. By 1782, General George Washington had run a ragtag army and, with the help of the French, had beaten the British. The war’s end seemed in sight but there were problems within the officer ranks of the Americans.1 On… Read More »
[October 26, 2018] Early last year, I wrote about ‘good’ things we can learn from a dog (see link here). In the article were listed ten things; one of them was that promises don’t count and talk is cheap. My intent was to show that there are valuable leadership traits that transcend gender, culture, and perhaps even animal… Read More »
[October 11, 2018] In a popular 2007 drawing by cartoonist Michael P. Ramirez, a soldier stands ready for combat but with a knife in his back; bloodied with the words “Congress” written in the blood. This political cartoon became popular among troops sent to Iraq. It symbolized their anger at the U.S. Congress because their elected representatives were… Read More »
[October 5, 2018] Two years ago I wrote about my 1983 The Army Officer’s Guide and how it propelled me toward success in my many decades of service. I’m fond of it and keep it on my desk. Today, when I pulled it out to flip through its covers, I fondly remembered reading about Army Traditions. At first,… Read More »
[October 4, 2018] As leaders we often discuss the importance of bringing new people into our organization and helping them adopt the institution’s culture. Leadership means many things but to accept someone is a part of taking care of them. The U.S. Army has a patch ceremony that begins this process as a formal recognition that new members… Read More »
[October 3, 2018] Good habits are developed through a conscious and meticulous mental process. They are not accidental. However, the issue on our plate today is about competitive habits for leaders. It has been my personal experience that leaders who allow themselves to possess any behavior that is not overtly good, will struggle. My blog post today is… Read More »
[October 2, 2018] In most armies worldwide there’s a classic story of a Second Lieutenant who was not trusted by his platoon because he was so “green” (inexperienced and untested). Just like this lieutenant, until you earn your spurs in any vocation you will find the road to leadership challenging and frustrating. Earn your spurs is, of course,… Read More »
[September 29, 2018] A lot has been written (and will be written) about America’s youngest adult generation. Subjects on Millennials are far racing but something is going unnoticed. What we are beginning to notice is that they are rejecting mentorship from leaders.1 Mentorship is, of course, the most effective and efficient way to improve upon leadership skills and… Read More »
[September 8, 2018] A year ago I criticized U.S. policy on the use of Chemical Weapons by Syrian President Assad. Although he denied it, a red line was drawn by U.S. President Barack Obama.1 Confirmed by his Secretary of State John Kerry, he wrote in his new book Every Day Is Extra (2018) that Obama’s failure to enforce… Read More »
[September 7, 2018] A few days ago I got a call from an old friend who was recently promoted to CEO of a mid-sized manufacturing company in Indiana. He wanted me to read a short article by author Mike Myatt entitled 12 Ways to Spot Ineffective Leadership. My post today about poor leadership is partly based on his… Read More »