Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[September 8, 2016] Everyone will tell you that loyalty is one of the most visible and noteworthy of all traits; found not just in humans but also in animals. What makes it so important is that loyalty is necessary for the survival of the species; without it, no individual could depend on others. Despite much talk about bottom-to-top… Read More »
[September 7, 2016] Strategy is the purview of senior leaders. They have the training, relevant experience, and authority to establish ends, ways, and means to accomplish the organization’s strategy. Yet, when senior leaders make tactical decisions, things can go unexpectedly wrong. During the Vietnam War, to use just one example, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson and members of his… Read More »
[September 6, 2016] I’ve learned more from the failures and mistakes of leaders than from their successful traits. With few exceptions this haunting truth makes clear that being a leader can be difficult and dirty at times. My first week at the U.S. Army’s Infantry Officer Basic Course in May 1983, over 200 U.S. Army lieutenants and 30… Read More »
[September 5, 2016] One of the advantages of Labor Day is the opportunity to cook burgers out on the grill, get some cooler weather, and drink a beer. Best wishes to everyone this fine day as Hurricane Hermine drifted eastward off-shore, doing less damage than expected, and had no impact on New York City where I live. However,… Read More »
[September 4, 2016] Someone long ago said that the most dangerous type of leader is a person who is a leader but refuses to acknowledge it. People go to them for answers and guidance but are rejected time and again. These are not the most dangerous. Leaders that put people at risk the most – and are thus… Read More »
[September 3, 2016] From the ranks of those who study leadership, lessons from some of the most admired military leaders of all time has been summarized for us. After hundreds of interviews with current military leaders from across the globe, research has shown that there are special nuggets that inform and teach us what makes a person successful… Read More »
[September 03, 2016] Happy “3rd” Anniversary to the Leader Maker! Special thanks to all my regular and new readers who have all made this leadership blog so successful. I began theLeaderMaker to provide a easily accessible site that addresses leadership issues and where any person could go to quickly gain some advice on leader principles. The site reinforces… Read More »
[September 2, 2016] Leaders who want to always be on top of their game, focused, and fully proficient in duty performance, might want to take a look at the Standing Rules of Rogers’ Rangers. The first rule is DON’T FORGET NOTHIN’. These rules lay the groundwork for what leadership means at any level and are applicable at the… Read More »
[September 1, 2016] My introduction to sports was as a very young child and as a participant in large family gatherings to watch baseball’s Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and the New York Yankees play and win the World Series. We never missed a game watching the 1958 series. Their leadership on the field was legendary and… Read More »
[August 31, 2016] New evidence has recently surfaced that 72 mass graves were discovered and contain Islamic State victims of industrial-scale murder.1 There are indicators of many more sites but due to ISIS presence, those locations are too dangerous to visit. What students of leadership should review, however, is how world leaders have failed to agree on a… Read More »