[October 27, 2021] Looking to my left, front, right, and rear, there is a target-rich environment for my “clearing the spindle” series. Much to my dismay, I find that our country is headed down the path of socialism, which is encouraged in part by a complete lack of common sense. The impact of the evils of socialism and… Read More »
[October 26, 2021] One of the many surprises that I encountered as a military flag officer was the number of uneducated civilians working in their chosen field. By uneducated, I don’t mean they lacked a formal college degree, but they had stopped their education in any meaningful way. They must have figured that all they needed was to… Read More »
[October 21, 2021] Command Sergeant Majors (CSM) are the U.S. Army’s most senior enlisted soldiers and all our military services have an equivalent. They are highly respected and they give their wisdom and advice to senior commanders to help their units run smoothly. One CSM once gave me his thoughts on why there are so many weak leaders… Read More »
[October 20, 2021] Early yesterday afternoon, I received a call from a friend named David. He is the son of an Auschwitz Concentration Camp survivor. It’s his dad’s story I want to tell today. The stories of Jews leading up to and during WWII give us lessons about powerful governments. His dad’s story, in particular, in the halls… Read More »
[October 19, 2021] One of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted characteristic of a leader is the ability to forgive. Rarely talked about and while practiced by many, unevenly applied. Leaders who practice forgiveness will benefit everyone in their organization and simultaneously retain the best worker talent and improve performance. People make mistakes – some unintentional and some by… Read More »
By guest blogger Sadako Red [see disclaimer] [October 18, 2021] Nothing is more galling than missing an obvious opportunity to do good or to succeed and we all know it. We know it in our bones! We know that to do so means a missed chance that will never show itself again. I was once young and had… Read More »
[October 15, 2021] I’ve been asked the question, are military leader traits different, several times. The answer is, of course, “no” … the characteristics of military leaders are the same as all other leaders. To some of my friends, they were a bit surprised by my answer because, like many people, they are confusing leadership style with leadership… Read More »
[October 4, 2021] A lot can be said about the many traits we find in the best of leaders; loyalty, morals, courage, accountability, etc. Conversely, there has been much written about destructive leader characteristics, those traits that damage those inside their organization and act as impediments to excellence. But among those destructive traits, which one is the most… Read More »
A Story that Needs Telling Military historians have failed if their objective was to portray the reality of war. Here’s General Satterfield‘s story, in his own words, of the Engineer Soldiers’ exploits on the battlefields of Iraq. His story is told to understand war, appreciate the Soldier, and comprehend what happened and why. It is the American ideal… Read More »
[October 2, 2021] A Gallup poll in October 1940 found American youth as “a flabby, pacifist, yellow, cynical, discouraged, and leftist lot.” On the precipice of war, the United States was wholly unprepared militarily or socially. We were, indeed, a cowardly, leftist lot. Today, we are no different. We honor and respect the Greatest Generation; those who served… Read More »