Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[May 10, 2015] Battles in war teach us many things and being a combat veteran those battles bring particularly hard lessons when I study them. The (in)famous Battle of Hamburger Hill was a part of the Vietnam War’s Operation Apache Snow in which tactical engagements lasting from May 10 to 20 in 1969. What the battle reaffirmed was… Read More »
[May 9, 2016] One of the greatest risks a leader can make is to over promise what they can do. Everyone has seen it time and again and everyone will experience overpromising leaders throughout their lifetimes. And, as expected, leaders are drawn to people who desire something better. The end result is, at best, disappointment or, at worse,… Read More »
[May 8, 2016] Ideas! Where we get them, how they develop, who argues for what, and how well ideas are argued have always been at the core of the understanding of any society. No contemporary writer has been more significant and coherent than Charles Krauthammer; political commentator, syndicated columnist, former psychiatrist, confined to a wheelchair, and even loves… Read More »
[May 7, 2016] Today I’m introducing “Army Vet,” who will be a regular featured guest blogger here at the theLeaderMaker.com. Over the past couple of years I’ve tried to bring a variety of perspectives on the topic of leadership. Army Vet will help me do this even better. “Army Vet” is, of course, a pseudonym. He is real.… Read More »
[May 6, 2016] Yesterday while waiting in my doctor’s office, I saw a segment on Good Morning America about a 7-year old girl’s note that fooled school officials. The handwritten note said that the girl was to take the bus home early. School teachers and administrators (and there were several involved) were so risk averse that they took… Read More »
[May 5, 2016] It has been said that militaries win or lose partly on how well their generals lead but also on how well their soldiers follow. When leaders speak plainly they draw people to them. Great leaders are brutally honest, often very blunt in their words because they say what’s on their mind. They will always tell… Read More »
[May 4, 2016] When my friend Wilson and I joined the Little League baseball team as six-year olds, we were fortunate to meet one of the best coaches of all time. Dr. Hagood was a physician but also a part-time coach in our small town. His greatest contribution to children on his team was to instill in us… Read More »
[May 3, 2016] In Parts 1 and 2 of this three-part series, I argued that teenagers lack leadership skills’ training and proposed that a formalized teenager leadership system be established. When teenager leadership is overlooked, as it has been historically, the contributions of those young folks are stunted. By teaching them early in their development, leadership will become… Read More »
[May 2, 2016] In Part 1 of this three-part series, I argued that teenagers lack training in leadership skills and that holds them back as adults. Teenager leadership is an overlooked part of education throughout most societies, especially Western nations where it is assumed that leadership can somehow be absorbed through classroom instruction. I reject this idea and… Read More »
[May 1, 2016] When my three friends and I joined the U.S. Army, our first experience at Boot Camp involved a giant of a man wearing a Drill Sergeant hat who spent his day screaming at us. The profanity was endless, as were the exasperatingly long hours. What we lacked then and what many young folks lack today… Read More »