[August 6, 2016] There was a time when U.S. military personnel refused to participate in anything that was political or even register to vote in elections because it would be seen as inappropriate interference. Basic rules that govern military behavior today provide some restrictions on what currently serving military members can and cannot do politically when in uniform. … Read More »
[August 4, 2016] Someone once said, as best as I can remember, that being overly facetious is the deed of amateurs and a flaw of leaders.1 A few years ago my commander, a senior U.S. Army General, told us that our unit had won the military’s highest award for maintenance of heavy equipment. His comments set into motion… Read More »
[August 3, 2016] Good leaders are especially hard to come by; those with the wisdom, courage, and stamina to forge ahead doing what is right. They didn’t get to be good leaders because of an innate ability or luck but through a long arduous process. What they will tell us, if we ask, is that one reason they… Read More »
[August 2, 2016] Terrorism, specifically Islamic terrorism, has been one of the biggest stories of 2016. The evil brew of ideology, religion, and fanaticism has swirled for some time now with targeted attacks on the innocent. Senior political leadership in most of Western nations has, for the most part, been blind to its effects and has been one… Read More »
[July 31, 2016] Like most European countries, Germany has its own unique culture; easily distinguishable from any other. It’s clean, orderly, and the people are accepting and easy to get along with as long as you show your interest in and respect for their culture. It is not surprising that citizens of Germany have sent Chancellor Merkel a… Read More »
[July 30, 2016] There’s an old saying used in business and government that makes an astute observation about success. It goes something like this, “It’s not what you know, but who you know” and it’s used primarily to explain achievement in the workplace and in one’s personal life. But, does who you know make you a leader? A… Read More »
[July 26, 2016] The story goes back a long way. I remember my father talking about the town drunk who was always at the bar on Tuesday nights. We grew up in a small town in Northeast Louisiana where, in the 1950s and 60s, liquor bars outnumbered churches about 2 to 1 and where everyone knew each other. … Read More »
[July 26, 2016] Maybe it’s my experience with military secret documents published in the New York Times newspaper that makes me skeptical that just about any form of communications can be read by others, like our enemies. It’s time for me to again warn everyone – especially leaders – that email, including encrypted email, can be read by… Read More »
[July 25, 2016] A good friend of mine at my commissioning ceremony as a new U.S. Army Second Lieutenant said that his best advice for me to succeed would be to respect soldiers regardless of rank, however pander to none of them. In his own way, he was speaking about respect. But respect is specifically missing from most… Read More »
[July 23, 2016] Yes, words have consequences and especially when spoken by senior leaders. Leaders have been known to make terrible choices of their words and then, unexpectedly, become more resolute when confronted. All of us have chosen poorly but rarely are word choices so important than when we are a leader. Knowing what to say, when to… Read More »