Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[June 10, 2018] I don’t highlight heroes enough on my leadership blog. What we can learn from them is beyond the value I could ever state but I wanted to draw attention to U.S. Navy Boatswain’s Mate First Class James E. Williams who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Vietnam. James E. Williams is… Read More »
[June 8, 2018] We all know that fulfilling leadership duties is difficult and the more senior we are the more difficult it is. But new leaders are prone to make big mistakes that can be traced back to their newness and how they respond to challenges that confront them. I am fortunate to belong to two organizations that… Read More »
[June 7, 2018] My subject today is not that kind of gray beard (shown in the thumbnail) but the kind you might find helping a military general work out a complex strategic problem. Graybeards is a term of endearment applied to retired U.S. military Flag officers who have returned to lend assistance to current, active duty Flag officers.… Read More »
[June 6, 2018] There are very few men alive today who participated in the largest amphibious invasion in human history. D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany; a day that will live in the chronicles of truly great human endeavors. Operation Overlord, what we informally call D-Day, surprised everyone on its success… Read More »
[June 5, 2018] If there is one thing that I learned from my first U.S. Army commander, it was that it is a bad idea to make feel-good rules for your soldiers. Feel-good rules are formalized but unnecessary rules of behavior. Feel-good rules are usually put in place by well-meaning leaders and managers who want to play it… Read More »
[June 4, 2018] Practical knowledge is incredibly important to any leader and life in general. Not only is it useful in its immediate application to a laundry list of everyday problems but it can be achieved only through personal experience in failure. You read that right … only through failure. “Besides the practical knowledge which defeat offers, there… Read More »
[June 3, 2018] A friend of mine from New York City conveyed a story to me that framed a problem leaders often encounter when they rally people to a cause. He was at a political townhall to discuss public issues of concern to the residents. People jumped right in to complain to their elected officials but failed to… Read More »
[June 2, 2018] Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) is a British activist and journalist who exposes the downside of Islamic immigration in Europe. He recently came to prominence worldwide when he was arrested and jailed for reporting on a rape trial of Muslims in Leeds, England. Apparently, in England, the courts can ban the public from knowing… Read More »
[June 1, 2018] Occasionally leaders are inspired by what they read or hear. One story stands out that demonstrates leadership under duress and courage at its finest. Told to a local High School class by a Coast Guard Rear Admiral, the story of the greatest small boat rescue in the history of the United States was what encouraged… Read More »
[May 31, 2018] I am very bad remembering the names of people I meet for the first time and it’s always been that way. But if there is one piece of sound advice I can give, it’s that of the people you do meet, you should never forget their names. Why? The reason is simple and it goes… Read More »