Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[November 22, 2018] It was once said that the most powerful armies are those that are both patient and daring. Nearly five centuries ago, one of the most audacious battles ever planned and fought occurred in Peru between a tiny Spanish force and an Incan empire. The Battle of Cajamarca occurred on November 16, 1532. Most readers of… Read More »
[November 21, 2018] There are a lot of things leaders do to make themselves approachable.1 They do this for many reasons; all of which have to do with acting as a catalyst to get the mission accomplished and taking care of people. One thing all good leaders do is laugh at other people’s jokes. Of course, this idea… Read More »
[November 20, 2018] I was laughing, the kind of laugh we rarely have, while my good friend Frank was telling me about the people where he worked. You see, Frank is a “character” himself and to hear his stories about acquaintances at work was really entertaining. You see, Frank calls those who he works with, “slackers, cowards, and… Read More »
[November 19, 2018] In large commercial companies today there is a question going around that asks, “What are the basics elements of leadership?” In other words, is there some sort of minimum requirement or core competency for a person to succeed as a leader? In my opinion, yes, there are some core things leaders must be able to… Read More »
[November 18, 2018] There are many photographs from World War II that tell a story if you look at them and understand a little about the war. Below is one of my favorites. It shows British soldier Horace Greasley looking through a barbed-wire defense at Nazi Heinrich Himmler1 (wearing spectacles). Horace Greasley was a Prisoner of War in… Read More »
[November 16, 2018] A senior U.S. Navy admiral once told me that he wished for a penny for every time sailors told him that they were ‘just following orders.’ Usually, it was after some major blunder where things had gone terribly wrong and they were trying to make-up an excuse for their failure. I was just following orders… Read More »
[November 15, 2018] Much is to be learned from war whether we want to admit it or not. Now that we are at the 100th anniversary of the end of the “Great War,” most citizens remain reluctant to revisit the horror so that we may learn valuable lessons. One lesson is that great leaders do not lead from… Read More »
[November 14, 2018] The comradeship of soldiers on the battlefield is well known. Like the Band of Brothers of World War II fame, made famous by the book and movie, men in war band together for friendship, protection, security, and faith. Likewise, the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan brought people together from across the world and thrust… Read More »
[November 13, 2018] It’s been ages since I had a library card. A few days ago, with my wife leading the way, we traveled to our local free public library. They no longer have “library cards” but instead have one of those scannable electronic tags that you hang on your keychain; much like grocery stores do. Because we… Read More »
[November 11, 2018] Today is the anniversary of the end of the Great War at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – 100 years ago. Nearly 20 million people died by that time and the horror would only be relived two decades later when mistakes were made that helped precipitate World War II… Read More »