Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[March 17, 2016] “Trust, but verify.” This quote is classic Ronald Reagan, 40th President to the United States. It exemplifies his ability to precisely put his thoughts into short, clear sentences and it tells us he understood the psychology of humans. Reagan is considered to be one of the best U.S. presidents of the 20th Century and his… Read More »
[March 16, 2016] As a young military officer I was curious why I was told that one of the keys to winning on the battlefield meant that leaders always reinforce success. In the U.S. Civil War, Union General George Meade failed to pursue the Confederate forces after the latter lost at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. That… Read More »
[March 15, 2016] My wife is the one who educated me on QVC and how great their customer service was for her and her friends. Any organization that I feature here in theLeaderMaker.com is one in which I have personal experience with at some level, although in this case less so. Since so many have told me so… Read More »
[March 14, 2016] In just a few days the first day of Spring official arrives but it’s already feeling like it here in Brooklyn. The trees and flowers are starting to bud and the weather has the warmth of a sun finally getting its strength back. Walking my Yellow Lab outside has become a true pleasure as I… Read More »
[March 13, 2015] When I first entered the U.S. Army, I did so because I wanted to join and to be part of something that was bigger than me and to gain opportunities that couldn’t be gotten elsewhere. The recruitment motto at the time was “Today’s Army Wants to Join You.” The formal idea behind the Army motto,… Read More »
[March 12, 2015] Yes, leaders do encourage bad attitudes in people and it’s a sad commentary that senior leaders are particularly guilty of doing so. The encouragement is not about people with strong personalities but about the fact that a bad attitude will get rewarded. How can it be that those with bad attitudes are rewarded when it’s… Read More »
[March 11, 2015] Whenever I think of volatility I’m drawn to one of the greatest battles during World War II. In late 1944 the German military broke through a weak Allied defensive area in an attempt to force them to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis Power’s favor. Great leaders on the Allied side were responsible for… Read More »
[March 10, 2016] We all know that not everybody is ready to be a leader but a corollary theory holds that you don’t suddenly become a good leader just because you’re given the job. A linebacker in the National Football League, for example, does not become a good player after a few plays in that position. Likewise, a… Read More »
[March 9, 2016] One of the concerns about being a military engineer is that we can be intellectually trapped by our education and experiences. Yet, there are great engineers who’ve escaped and produced amazing works. They did this by developing a daily habit of being open to new ideas. We all have marveled at those who designed and… Read More »
[March 8, 2016] Long ago at Boot Camp, after I joined the U.S. Army as a Private, my fellow recruits and I (we weren’t soldiers yet) ran around our barracks to the cadence of several grizzled Drill Sergeants. There was a lesson somewhere but at the time I was focused on the moment and didn’t get it. The… Read More »