[January 25, 2017] Learning from leaders is not always ordained to be from good things they do; although leadership is set by example, for good and bad. I’m sure all of us have seen leaders who do things that are not just wrong, but are purposefully wrong. Leaders losing their cool is one example. People get angry … leaders… Read More »
[January 24, 2017] As junior leaders we have our entire team surround us and, of course, talking to them is easy. As senior leaders, however, that is rarely the case and because of vast geographic dispersion, using other means to communicate is a necessity. Yet while many leaders recognize this fact, what they fail to see is that… Read More »
[January 23, 2017] A basic unwritten rule in military leadership is never to criticize the outgoing leader as the incoming leader. When beginning a new leadership position, it is impossible to know everything the previous leader saw as obstacles to success. It is therefore the right thing to do to never criticize that outgoing leader. This “rule” is… Read More »
[January 22, 2017] The study and observation of senior leaders in action is required for learning how to be effective leaders. This past Friday, I promised to provide feedback on the transition of Donald Trump into the presidency of the United States. I will occasionally come back to this. For today the topic will be President Trump’s Inauguration… Read More »
[January 20, 2017] The first book I ever read that dealt seriously with the topic of leadership and discipline was General George S. Patton’s book (1982 edition), War As I Knew It.1 For the U.S. military, the early 1980s was a time of change; moving from the legacy tactics of Vietnam to a modern, brigade-centric combat force. “There… Read More »
[January 19, 2017] Great leaders know instinctively that those who can inspire others to learn, be, and do more in their lives possess the best and rarest leadership skills.1 They know that it’s not their title that makes them great, the money they are paid, or the number of followers; greatness only comes from inspiring others to achieve… Read More »
[January 15, 2016] It’s an annual tradition of mine to make forecasts for the New Year and to predict those topics and issues that will be at the top for American senior leaders. Last year it was the presidential election and Islamic terrorism. I predict 2017 will deviate little from last year. So there should be few surprises… Read More »
[January 11, 2017] Pashtunwali … if you’re reading this, then you’ve likely never heard this word spoken aloud. The meaning, of course, will elude you but most importantly you will never understand its full meaning as intended. You cannot understand fully the code of ethics of Pashtunwali unless you’ve personally lived it from childhood. No amount of study… Read More »
[January 10, 2016] Success comes in many forms and is the result of good habits practiced daily. Leaders give credit where it’s due, accept feedback, are generous, and treat others fairly. But leaders should also look like a leader and that is not so easy. “People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.” – John… Read More »
[January 7, 2017] “My dog Roger ate my homework!” So was the excuse my son used to justify why he couldn’t produce his teacher-assigned homework during his first week in Junior High School. I probably used the same excuse as a young boy, so I was on to him fast and didn’t buy it. He spent time at… Read More »