Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[August 9, 2018] The biggest mistake I’ve ever made was failing to listen to my maternal grandmother (we called her “bigmama”). She told the gaggle of her grandkids sitting in a circle one day to never underestimate other people. “Golden rule of life: never underestimate your rivals.” – Sid Waddell, English sports commentator and television personality We were… Read More »
[August 8, 2018] It was a hot summer in 1969 when I was delivering newspapers in Abilene, Texas, a neighbor told me about a massacre in California. Later police determined the murders to be by an unheard of cult and lead by a man named Charles Manson. I remember it clearly, almost like it was yesterday. “From the… Read More »
[August 7, 2018] Last week I was watching a classic Vietnam War movie, Apocalypse Now (1970). A line by one of the characters got my attention. While Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is traveling upriver to find Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) when he tells one of the young soldiers looking for guidance on how to scare off the Viet… Read More »
[August 6, 2018] Several years ago I was driving in a small town located in eastern Pennsylvania, south of the city of Scranton when I came upon a terrible automobile accident. I arrived only a couple of minutes after the accident but there were already three men working feverishly to get the occupants out. At the risk of… Read More »
[August 5, 2018] I like explanative ideas that deviate from the norm yet also provide a surprising accounting of relevant socio-political phenomenon. A few months ago in a New York Post article, Ralph Peters wrote in an opinion piece giving his thoughts on why so many countries prefer tyranny over democracy. This is why I’m a fan of… Read More »
[August 4, 2018] A recent indecent in my family motivated me to write about how to get along smoothly in any organization. All of us have belonged to a variety of organizations in our lifetimes (e.g., work, school, family, military, church) and perhaps we’ve had difficulty along the way. All you have to do is follow the rules… Read More »
[August 3, 2018] A fundamental duty of leaders is to find opportunities to provide useful information to others and deliver positive feedback. It is the embodiment of great leadership to teach, coach, and mentor in such a way that the feedback is received as a stimulus to internal motivation. It is no surprise that someone who is able… Read More »
[August 1, 2018] My recent experience with the Boy Scouts at summer camp (articles here and here) brought a number of comments from readers asking for practical leadership tips. I’ll soon start a short series on this, but for today I’ll offer one of the most useful of all practical leader tips; remember their names. Yes, that’s it… Read More »
[July 31, 2018] “Mission first, people always,” is more than just a saying in the U.S. military; it’s a philosophy. The fact that leadership is difficult even in the best of times means that we expect the mission to be accomplished and done efficiently and effectively by people. In this idea, mission first, people always … one of… Read More »
[July 30, 2018] At a commissioning ceremony, where a dozen army Second Lieutenants took the oath of office, the commandant of the ROTC program said something that stuck with me my entire life. “For those of you who swear to become an officer, leadership is a life choice.”1 What he meant at the time and all those around… Read More »