Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[April 20, 2021] Philosophers and great sages of times past have asked the same question and have found their answers imperfect. “Why is it that men throughout history chose to die in battle with their friends rather than flee on their own and survive?” The answer? Not for glory but for brotherhood. “The only thing that makes battle… Read More »
[April 19, 2021] We’re all guilty of doing it, rushing through to a major decision. Doing so is shortsighted, and it can affect us most regrettably. In one of the Indiana Jones films, a bad guy hopes to obtain immortality by drinking from a golden, jewel-encrusted cup. He dies. The guardian of the cup says he chose …… Read More »
[April 18, 2021] My maternal grandmother was fond of saying that we are placed here on this earth to help others. She was a Christian, a mother of four children, and strong-willed. We called her Bigmama, and she was a leader with an apron. “I won’t tell you how to be a good boy. I’m telling you to… Read More »
[April 16, 2021] An article I wrote last month on the rules of a gunfight was popular, especially among younger readers of my leadership blog. So, I decided to follow up. Here are five MORE rules of a gunfight with comments. Most of us will go through our entire lives without having to fire a shot. That means… Read More »
[April 15, 2021] We all make mistakes, and I have certainly made enough myself. One stands out in my preparation for a professional career. Whether it was in college studying engineering or as a young lieutenant in the Army, I underestimated the intellectual discipline needed to achieve great things. Is the lack of intellectual discipline simply laziness? I… Read More »
[April 14, 2021] I was asked a couple of years ago to take a look at a local college to understand why their enrollment was falling. This request was unusual, as I have little experience in higher education compared to others in the field. The first thing I did was to ask for their “strategic plan” and turned… Read More »
[April 13, 2021] To do your duty is an admirable trait. It helps hold us together as humans and creates social bonds that allow trust to develop. To highlight this fact may seem a bit obscure in the age of “evolving values,” but it is necessary to understand the significance of Prince Philip, a man who epitomized “duty… Read More »
[April 12, 2021] Leadership is the ability to get people to do things they would not ordinarily do. Great leadership is getting them to do it because they want to. Leadership is not resource management, it’s not team-building events where everyone gets a trophy, and it’s not being the boss who sits back in a leather chair tossing… Read More »
[April 11, 2021] I am re-watching the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers and find that there scenes that I overlooked on my initial viewing. One scene involves Lieutenant Lewis Nixon (played by Ron Livingston) when he takes a stray machinegun bullet to his head. Fortunately, Nixon was wearing his helmet. The scene can be seen here on… Read More »
[April 10, 2021] Yesterday was the 79th anniversary of the formal surrender of the U.S. Army and Filipino forces at Bataan to the Japanese under the command of Lieutenant General Homma Masaharu. More than we may know, this event was one of the momentous acts of World War II. Bataan featured prominently during the war. Before the Japanese… Read More »