[October 29, 2021] General George S. Patton was one of America’s greatest generals. There is hardly a person alive today who has not heard of him and his exploits during World War II. But that’s only part of the story. Patton surrounded himself with some of the best people in operational warfare and allowed them to do their… Read More »
[October 28, 2021] A well-known characteristic of great leaders is a thick-skinned personality. This is only possible when the leader is one that possesses extensive, broadly-based, and relevant experiences. Yet, this does not necessarily mean the leader is arrogant or uncaring. In the best of leaders, being thick-skinned means also being humble and optimistic. Being thick skinned means… Read More »
[October 26, 2021] One of the many surprises that I encountered as a military flag officer was the number of uneducated civilians working in their chosen field. By uneducated, I don’t mean they lacked a formal college degree, but they had stopped their education in any meaningful way. They must have figured that all they needed was to… Read More »
[October 25, 2021] Several months ago (yes, I’m late coming to this topic), the U.S. Army and Russia came out each with radically different military recruiting ads. The contrast is telling. In the new U.S. army ad, begins with “… a little girl raised by two moms,” the narrator says, “Although I had a fairly typical childhood, took… Read More »
[October 24, 2021] For the past several weeks, I’ve put extra emphasis on the importance of character in leadership. Today’s article is no exception. But I would like to take a different twist and discuss how crucial self-awareness is for personal growth and success with others. Leadership today involves navigating some of the most difficult situations without any… Read More »
[October 23, 2021] Over the past few years, we have witnessed leaders of several countries who failed decisively to unite their nations. Socialist leaders do a better job, although they typically use brute force – or threat of force – to achieve that end. Political leaders in democratic nations generally have a more complex environment to creating unity. … Read More »
[October 21, 2021] 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 »
[October 20, 2021] Early yesterday afternoon, I received a call from a friend named David. He is the son of an Auschwitz Concentration Camp survivor. It’s his dad’s story I want to tell today. The stories of Jews leading up to and during WWII give us lessons about powerful governments. His dad’s story, in particular, in the halls… Read More »
[October 19, 2021] One of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted characteristic of a leader is the ability to forgive. Rarely talked about and while practiced by many, unevenly applied. Leaders who practice forgiveness will benefit everyone in their organization and simultaneously retain the best worker talent and improve performance. People make mistakes – some unintentional and some by… Read More »
[October 17, 2021] I was breaking in a replacement Flag officer at the end of my tour in South Korea. The job was demanding and required me to work closely with and live alongside my Korean counterparts. My replacement, however, had difficulty adapting to the new assignment and was eventually sent home early. What did he lack? He… Read More »