[August 22, 2018] Academic studies show that the majority of employees in the American workforce are afraid to speak up because of the fear of retribution. The cause is directly related to poor leadership and this fear is always present. “The forces of retribution are always listening. They never sleep.” – Meg Greenfield, American editorial writer We all… Read More »
[August 18, 2018] Many years ago as a Platoon Leader in the U.S. Army Infantry, I learned a valuable lesson the hard way. My platoon was being evaluated and I’d gone nearly four days without sleep getting everything ready. When the time came for me to lead my unit, I was as utterly useless … not unlike being… Read More »
[August 17, 2018] Not only is the answer, YES it does exist, but we keep getting punished by it every day. There are many anecdotal examples of the Peter Principle in action but I’ll hold off on them today. Let’s just note that organizations are complex and the idea that some leaders are better than others will always… Read More »
[August 9, 2018] The biggest mistake I’ve ever made was failing to listen to my maternal grandmother (we called her “bigmama”). She told the gaggle of her grandkids sitting in a circle one day to never underestimate other people. “Golden rule of life: never underestimate your rivals.” – Sid Waddell, English sports commentator and television personality We were… Read More »
[August 7, 2018] Last week I was watching a classic Vietnam War movie, Apocalypse Now (1970). A line by one of the characters got my attention. While Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is traveling upriver to find Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) when he tells one of the young soldiers looking for guidance on how to scare off the Viet… Read More »
[August 6, 2018] Several years ago I was driving in a small town located in eastern Pennsylvania, south of the city of Scranton when I came upon a terrible automobile accident. I arrived only a couple of minutes after the accident but there were already three men working feverishly to get the occupants out. At the risk of… Read More »
[August 5, 2018] I like explanative ideas that deviate from the norm yet also provide a surprising accounting of relevant socio-political phenomenon. A few months ago in a New York Post article, Ralph Peters wrote in an opinion piece giving his thoughts on why so many countries prefer tyranny over democracy. This is why I’m a fan of… Read More »
[July 29, 2018] There’s an old stereotype that soldiers in the military are a bunch of knuckle-dragging dimwits who don’t have a creative thought or significant accomplishment in their pathetic lives.1 Contrary to that view, however, is a growing trend among most Western-nation military leaders to study the Greek classics. Several of my neighbors at a recent get… Read More »
[July 9, 2018] Like several previous posts on political leadership, this is part of an on-going series that focuses on new and controversial ideas. Today, I’m highlighting Victor Davis Hanson, military historian and senior fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. The one thing he has in common with the others written about here is his provocative ideas –… Read More »
[May 25, 2018] It wasn’t that long ago that opportunities for young adults in employment, education, and service to one’s country were available to all; no longer. Today, that means that when opportunity knocks … get moving through that door and take advantage of it. “When opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” – Milton Berle, American comedian and… Read More »