[October 14, 2018] This topic may seem at first glance to be a little off the beaten track from typical leadership themes but the more I see what’s happening on college campuses, the more I realize that it shouldn’t be. The purpose of formal education is to instruct us to be better, more productive citizens. At least, that… Read More »
By guest blogger Sadako Red [see disclaimer] [October 13, 2018] “Evil is not what leaders say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.” U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy said these words shortly before he was assassinated by a Palestinian immigrant in the politically-turbulent times of America in 1968. Hmmmm, yes … that is one way… Read More »
[October 12, 2018] Napoléon Bonaparte wrote these famous words more than 200 years ago; “a true man hates no one.” As the General of the Army and Emperor of the French, he understood that to make decisions under the influence of one’s emotions will mark you as unreliable, unpredictable, and ultimately unfit for any high office. Not surprisingly,… 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 10, 2018] A friend of mine since childhood, Jerry, seemed like a contradiction in his psychological makeup. He was fiercely independent yet he was also a dedicated team player. Many of his friends, like me, questioned how a leader can be both independent and a team player at the same time. Here is how he did it!… Read More »
[October 9, 2018] It’s tough being a leader and it’s even harder being a great leader. What separates the great from the mediocre is moral courage. Today, I’ll discuss this very issue. The Madison, Wisconsin City Council recently voted to remove a grave marker of Confederate prisoners of war and in doing so showed their moral cowardice. The… Read More »
[October 8, 2018] The quote below from Thomas Edison is one of my personal favorites. Edison is, of course, one of the world’s most famous and prolific inventors. Like many who are fantastically successful, they tell us that success only comes through seizing opportunities. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks… Read More »
[October 7, 2018] In my long-running series on leader trends, I’ve tried to lay out what I see as troubling patterns in leadership. It’s usually something that has happened that sparks my interest and that is what motivated me today. The recent U.S. Supreme Court confirmation process has convinced me that our national leaders are actually pushing hate… Read More »
[October 6, 2018] Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once wrote that anyone who uses violence as a method to suppress people must then “inexorably choose lying as his principle.” After many years in Soviet-communist labor camps and prisons, he knows of what he speaks. He would tell us that leaders lying to you is not okay. The idea that lies from… 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 »