Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[November 9, 2016] Well, America has a newly elected president; an upset victory by Donald Trump. This election was unusually contentious and divisive. Furthermore, to add to the new president’s problems, the U.S. today is weaker and less respected than ever while the world is far more dangerous than any time since World War II. This presidential election… Read More »
[November 8, 2016] Many times I’ve written here that it’s best to learn from the mistakes of others. This is a cheap, effective, and quick way to learn about leadership and it works. It works rather smoothly although it does require some talent to pick up on the real lessons. However, I’m one of those leaders who had… Read More »
[November 7, 2016] Senior leaders are judged on their effectiveness. One of the resources to ensure a leader can do their job is a good executive staff and skillful advisors; the makeup of which is crucial to leader success. But when staffs and advisors are composed of yes-men, the leader will be isolated from reality and a distorted… Read More »
[November 6, 2016] I’ve said in the past that when leaders speak and take action, it’s imperative that it be done in a clear, concise, and vigorous manner. Good leaders leave no room for misunderstandings or for distortions. Reality is, however, different. Leaders will occasionally send unintended messages regardless of how careful or precise they may be. “It… Read More »
[November 5, 2016] I love baseball. It’s an American sport that gives plenty enjoyment and its fun to watch, think about strategy, and have a good time with friends. Congratulations to the Chicago Cubs for winning the World Series in an exciting final game 7. The last time they won was in 1908! But that’s not all …… Read More »
[November 4, 2016] On this date, November 4th in 1979, Iranian “students” stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran. This lead to an oil embargo, the holding of American hostages, and to the humiliation of the United States. U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy, his energy strategy, and how he handled the crisis are examples of dangerous outcomes when… Read More »
By guest blogger Jessica Freeman [See Biography] [November 3, 2016] Too much workload can often make us feel overwhelmed and stressed and we all know that there is nothing more important than being productive when working. In order to work well you need to focus both on the work and time management at the same time. The trick… Read More »
[November 2, 2016] Nearly 50 years ago, the U.S. was in the middle of the Vietnam War and experiencing a strengthening antiwar movement. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson met with a group of highly prestigious leaders to ask for their advice on how to unite citizens on the war effort. Their advice was to give more optimistic reports. … Read More »
[November 1, 2016] It was a hot summer day in southern Arkansas when my grandmother decided to teach me about life. It was my turn – at a meager six years of age – to catch, kill, and prepare one of her chickens for our supper that evening. Killing the chicken would be a first for me but… Read More »
[October 31, 2016] Today is Halloween; a secular holiday with popular “scary” themes. But here is something scarier that keeps leaders up at night. There are two regrettable but headline making, leading issues that put senior military leaders in a very bad light. First, over the past several decades we’ve known that the U.S. military system is not… Read More »