Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[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 »
[April 9, 2021] We hear every day that the leading civil rights issue in America is the fight against racism. We are told, no greater problem exists, and our failure to stop racism is an existential societal crisis. I disagree. The greatest civil rights issue of the 21st century is saving babies that otherwise would be legally and… Read More »
[April 8, 2021] Valor is a word we do not often hear. Valor is showing great courage in the face of extreme danger, especially in battle. Often, I’ve written about heroes who show courage and bravery confronting many challenges that life throws our way. ‘Valor’ means voluntarily facing mortal danger to protect others. “You shall, I question not,… Read More »
[April 7, 2021] On occasion, I will hit on a topic that grabs my attention. Comedy is one of them, and while I’m no connoisseur of funniness (a personal failure), I do recognize its benefits. JP Sears is one of the new comedians whose careers took off in the coronavirus era of shutdowns and government-sponsored heavy handiness. He… Read More »
[April 6, 2021] There’s an old saying that says, “If you play with fire, you’re gonna get burned.” I think it was Bam Bam Bigelow – yes, that guy (390-pound professional wrestler and actor) – said it, but others have expressed the same. I always liked watching Bam Bam, but he was not exactly correct on this point… Read More »