[January 12, 2018] Yesterday I got a text message from a good friend in the U.S. Air Force. He was wondering what my thoughts were regarding Steve Bannon, previous Chief of Staff of President Trump and fired Executive Chairman of Breitbart News. Bannon, along with several other high-profile folks have done a good job of showing us ways… Read More »
[January 11, 2018] Yes, I tried to get Army Vet to write this article about cultural change being discussed in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) but he says he’s “out of town” working with the Guatemalan Army. Army Vet did, however, give me some insight and that is included in today’s article. The Honorable Robert Wilkie was… Read More »
[January 9, 2018] Those of us who have spent time in the U.S. military are in possession of something that gives a marked advantage over others in the civilian world. That thing we have is the notion that leaders have the responsibility to show us what “right” looks like. Military folks and veterans have experienced learning by watching… Read More »
[January 7, 2018] My wife, who is Italian and strong-willed, reminds me each time we see a commercial about the Miss America pageant that “this is the 21st Century and therefore no need for exploiting women like this.” And that is exactly the struggle the pageant’s leadership is facing; how to make the beauty contest relevant in a… Read More »
[January 6, 2018] Leadership is complex, difficult, and sometimes creates unexpected results. Such is the case with the theocratic government of Iran as they contemplate what to do about the growing number of antigovernment protesters showing their dissatisfaction. Is there a new Iranian revolution under way or is it something else? That is what “experts” are asking themselves;… Read More »
[January 4, 2018] One does not need to be a sage philosopher to know that trust is what makes successful interactions among humans possible. Trust is so fundamental and so ingrained into us that much of it often goes unrecognized; such as the meaning of words and symbols, courtesies, and in problem solving. Trust is also at the… Read More »
[January 3, 2018] Advising leaders the best way to untangle problems is one of my goals as a retired senior leader. Yet I remain amazed at how senior leaders fail to use tools at their disposal to assist their need to resolve issues. Email is one of the most valuable and most risky tools in the leadership toolbox.… Read More »
[January 2, 2018] As little kids, we were lucky to have a grandmother who was wise, strong, and helpful. Each Christmas season she would sit about a dozen of us grandkids down on the floor to talk to us about jealousy and how the emotion leads us only to ugly things. We were warned about resenting others who… Read More »
[December 31, 2017] With the new year 2018 beginning tomorrow, it is easy to sit back and relax a little … but that is not what good leaders are doing. Leaders are always ready. They are prepared to take the initiative whenever the right circumstances present themselves. This is what Western leaders are doing right now in support… Read More »
[December 29, 2017] The night was unusually dark and windy … perfect weather for an attack on an enemy fortified position located in a village just east of Baghdad. We had complete tactical surprise because unit leaders were ready to make sound and timely decisions. Over 25 Sunni insurgents were killed or captured that night due to the… Read More »