Author Archives: Douglas R. Satterfield
[October 22, 2014] With political elections coming up in the United States and many countries over the next month, I will find plenty to write about here. Sure enough, politicians running for office are providing plenty of fodder for us to see how senior leaders are performing. I’m resisting making the Leader Wall only about politicians, so included… Read More »
[October 21, 2014] …and others will hate you for who you are. That is the reality of being a leader of people. Many will want to be around you, listen to what you say, be your friend, want to give you gifts, and do things for you. Others will attack you for any reason whether justified or not,… Read More »
[October 20, 2014] My typical “reading list” is about the best book I’ve read this month. What I don’t often talk about are the other books, mostly still good, but don’t reach the level that will go on my recommended list. Today however I list two books that satisfied my reading tastes but for some reason didn’t reach… Read More »
[October 19, 2014] In 1936, critics called Winston Churchill the “number one warmonger” in Britain for writing that the German Nazis were going to cause a war on a larger scale than ever before. Churchill had something that only the greatest of leaders possess. He had the ability of seeing the world clearly. Such insight requires a talent… Read More »
[October 18, 2014] I don’t normally comment directly on the credibility, bias, or accuracy of news articles because that is all I would be doing here at theLeaderMaker.com if I did. Today I’m making an exception because of the egregious false impressions generated in a New York Times (NYT) article titled, The Secret Casualties of Iraq’s Abandoned Chemical… Read More »
[October 17, 2014] Sound like sage advice? It should! But do people always adhere to it? Surprisingly, no … those traits that got them to a successful place in life – like dogged determination or never quitting – sometimes means when they find themselves doing stupid things and they can’t stop. There’s something about the makeup of people… Read More »
[October 16, 2014] Ten years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, I had the rare opportunity to interview an Egyptian Army General who commanded on the battlefield during this war. His perspective on the war gave me insight into the Middle East and the mindset of some of those involved. Although our conversation occurred over 30 years ago,… Read More »
[October 15, 2014] During the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli Wars1, the militaries of the Arab states2 were well organized but performed poorly on the battlefield. For those of us who study war, it is well known that militaries of socialist countries are inferior to democratic national armies. While it is hard to pinpoint any one reason why, what… Read More »
[October 14, 2014] One of my best friends, with a great personality and positive disposition, was recently relieved of his military duties. He was a Flag officer and had responsibility for thousands of soldiers. To obtain this station in the military meant that he had to prove himself worthy over many years. Just recently he was also asked… Read More »
[October 13, 2014] More senior leadership failures and successes who speak their mind Note. Wow, this week there were a number of senior leaders in the news, most of them making comments they probably wish they had another chance at making. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is back with another gaffe. I will resist the temptation to create… Read More »