Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[May 22, 2015] John Wayne has always been one of my movie heroes. To be more precise, I was a fan of the actor John Wayne but the men he played were the ones with true grit and a perseverance … they were all real men of action. There have always been people who show both grit and… Read More »
[May 21, 2015] Having a new puppy in our family has brought great joy and some sleepless nights for my wife Nancy and I. Doing so has put a snag into my reading schedule; as I tire much easier during the day when I only get 4 or 5 hours of very interrupted sleep nightly. That will pass… Read More »
[May 20, 2015] This past weekend ISIS fighters just captured the strategic city of Ramadi, Iraq. Are there any lessons for senior leaders we can learn from this? Yes, but many of our senior politicians that control policy simply don’t understand or cannot apply what those lessons are to ensure success and this was, sadly, perfectly predictable. The reason is… Read More »
[May 19, 2015] A few days ago I had the pleasure of talking with a two college students and, as I normally do, I asked them about their lives; where they were from and their college experience. One blond-haired, very young man told me about himself and that one of his favorite things to do was to watch… Read More »
[May 18, 2015] Leaders have to deal with a host of problems that are destructive. Lately, something we’ve seen developing is the troubling aspect that many people now believe they are privileged. Thus, possessing the power of privilege they are special and are somehow justified to be both exempt from rules of behavior and deserving of unearned benefits.… Read More »
[May 17, 2015] While we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War II, there remain many opportunities to learn about the many campaigns during the war … and also about leadership. Few people today have heard of the invasion of the Ryukyu Islands, but we do know it as the Battle of Okinawa where the… Read More »
[May 16, 2015] Just out in the news … for political junkies … is the latest edition of The Pig Book by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW). As described by the authors, the Congressional Pig Book is an “annual compilation of the pork-barrel projects in the [United States] federal budget.” What it really does is tell the story… Read More »
[May 15, 2015] There’s a very old saying in the U.S. military that cuts to the core of leadership. The saying is that, you can delegate authority, but you cannot delegate responsibility. You will always find a commander in charge and the success or failure of any operation rests squarely on that person’s shoulders. That may seem harsh… Read More »
[May 14, 2015] There are few people across the world that don’t recognize the slogan, “Just say no to drugs.” It was a simple message that encouraged children and young adults to avoid dangerous illegal drugs that could cause them serious problems, especially in adulthood. Today, the “just say no to drugs” campaign is essentially over. Furthermore, many… Read More »
[May 13, 2014] One of the first commanders that I worked for shortly after my commission to Second Lieutenant was a great guy and family man. He was the kind of person you could have a beer with and enjoy watching the football game on television. However, as a leader he had one major flow; he could not… Read More »