[May 20, 2019] Yesterday, a good friend alerted me to a recent lecture by Thomas E. Ricks1 on why WWII generals were more successful than those in Korea, Vietnam, or Iraq/Afghanistan. There are several outstanding leader lessons but one on U.S. General George C. Marshall’s essential qualities of a general stood out, and I thought I would pass… Read More »
[May 19, 2019] Bosses are rapidly becoming a thing of the past, as more and more people call for leaders to take their place. There’s a subtle difference between the two terms, but it’s an important one. Bosses tell people what to do, while leaders show employees which direction to head in and leave them to it. One… Read More »
[May 18, 2019] What is the main trait an individual must have in order to master organizing, mentoring, and leading others in the workplace? If your first thoughts were assertiveness, charisma, empathy, or competence, you were partially right. These traits are important, but there’s a certain quality that can really make or break a leader: The ability to… Read More »
[May 17, 2019] Risks are a reality. An entrepreneur must face them. Every business established and grew through various hardships. Hence, every corporate leader tries his best to minimize it. Some risks are predictable and could be controlled while others are not. The problem for an entrepreneur is how to reduce risks. Here are some useful techniques. 1. … Read More »
[May 16, 2019] I’ve heard from many folks in various militaries around the world who put in their time and yet never got “the call.” The call is military-speak for being called for combat duty. That’s what we train for, that’s the purpose of our duty, and we expect that we willed be called to defend our nation… Read More »
[May 15, 2019] The phrase “lock and load” has been around a long time. Veterans of military service know it well; whether on a weapon qualification range or preparing for combat, lock and load literally means to chamber a round in your weapon. It also means to be ready for anything. Being ready for whatever comes is what… Read More »
[May 14, 2019] Anyone interested in beginning their career as a comedian should take full confidence in the fact that there plenty of funny material about stupid stuff people do. We’ve all done stupid things, and those experiences are great for comedians and for learning how to be a better person. Admit our action was stupid, apologize, learn… Read More »
[May 13, 2019] There’s an old axiom that says that soldiers are terrified of war because they are the ones who experience the brunt of the battle. The idea that soldiers are terrified of war, for this reason, is not true. Soldiers fear war because they are scared of letting their buddies down. They are terrified to fail… Read More »
[May 12, 2019] Yes, I had a job in Junior High School shoveling shit in Louisiana; cow manure to be specific. The line “shoveling shit in Louisiana” was made famous as a vulgar line used by U.S. General George S. Patton in a motivation speech to his troops on June 5th, 1944 (the day before D-Day).1 The speech… Read More »
[May 11, 2019] If there ever was a common link between senior leaders in the U.S. military and those who chose leadership on a different path, we can find it in their lessons learned. U.S. Air Force General “Pete” Piotrowski is the embodiment of many of such lessons; tested, confirmed to work, and written down for us all… Read More »