[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 »
[April 30, 2016] Children are quick to pick-up on life’s lessons … good or bad. It is expected that parents be diligent in providing a family setting that good lessons will flourish. It was up to my mother to tell me that the best way to be a good man was to have jobs as a boy that… Read More »
[April 29, 2016] In the study of military history a special area only recently receiving attention is the survival of Prisoners of War (POW). From the Revolutionary War through Vietnam, U.S. Army researchers discovered a number of patterns that was the key to POW survival; the more mentally and physically resilient, the higher the survival rate. Resilience was… Read More »
[April 28, 2016] Militaries around the world struggle with instilling the right leadership qualities in their troops. And, as we know, weak leaders wreak havoc to the processes within any organization. In Part 1 we addressed 20 characteristics of weak leaders but also noted that leadership outcomes result from the interplay between the character of a leader, their… Read More »
[April 27, 2016] Command Sergeant Majors (CSM) are the U.S. Army’s most senior enlisted soldiers and all our military services have an equivalent. They are highly respected and they give their wisdom and advice to senior commanders to help their units run smoothly. One CSM once gave me his thoughts on why there are so many weak leaders… Read More »
[April 25, 2016] In the study of leadership there is one thing that leaders understand – it’s better to learn from the mistakes of others than from your own. The pain is less, although the lesson is not as strong. Here in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio and his administration has been accused of “willful and… Read More »
[April 24, 2016] In August 1944 during the Sicily Campaign of World War II, General George S. Patton slapped two U.S. Army soldiers for what believed to be cowardice. Patton was a hard driving, highly disciplined leader of troops during the war and was undeniably one of its most successful generals. Accepting criticism of these slapping incidents was… Read More »
[April 23, 2016] Most leaders don’t have the ability to clearly define where they’re going. My grandmother tried to teach me as a child that the best way to be happy was to know what I wanted and to tell my family about it. Not unlike a child (their mission is to be happy), it is common for… Read More »
[April 22, 2016] Yes, war settles disputes and I won’t qualify the statement because it’s true. Human history has been burdened (and enthralled) with war from its beginnings and it will continue to be so; at least into the near future. But, are the results of war predictable and desirable? That is my subject today. To take a… Read More »