[October 1, 2018] There is a saying in the military that in war the victorious seek battle only after the victory has been won. Those that understand this also know that the study of great failures in leadership can teach us something victory cannot. A wise military historian once told me that I could learn more about military… Read More »
[September 28, 2018] Karl von Clausewitz, a military theorist, once wrote that “courage, above all things, is the first quality of a warrior.” When I was a young teenager, I had no concept of the idea of courage but one thing I did know was that I liked racing my Yamaha 250cc dirt bike. I also liked my… Read More »
[September 27, 2018] The day before yesterday, my wife watched The Hanoi Hilton (1987) starring Michael Moriarty. She asked me to watch it with her and I initially refused by saying I couldn’t see how a Hollywood movie director could treat a sensitive subject with respect and dignity. I watched it more out of curiosity than anything else. … Read More »
[September 26, 2018] Personal favorite lists of “military laws” are those collected under the rubric of Murphy’s Laws of Combat Operations. These so-called laws are both educational and entertaining in a way that only those who’ve lived and survived in the Armed Forces will know. What they have in common is that they are about important things in… Read More »
[September 25, 2018] In Disney’s movie The Lion King (1994), the song Be Prepared is one of five written specifically for the movie and features the villain Scar educating his Hyena allies about the undeniable benefits of ‘mission preparation.’ There is only one path to leadership and it runs through the requirement to be prepared. Scar:1 Just listen… Read More »
[September 24, 2018] A few months ago in one of my columns on the Middle East, I asked the question, “What’s happening in Iran?”1 My point, in asking the question, was that while Iranian leaders continue to support worldwide terrorism and the proliferation of WMDs, Iran could easily come into the civilized world by stopping their “unethical and… Read More »
[September 22, 2018] The other day I was talking with two recently-retired enlisted soldiers who had each served almost 10 combat tours; in Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s a lot of combat time by any measure. But what caught me by surprise was that they considered themselves just ordinary soldiers. To me, they are the epitome of selfless service.… Read More »
[September 21, 2018] A good friend of mine, a logistics Army Colonel, had a military signature block that read, “The answer is yes, what’s your request?” I found it appropriate that this officer put the needs of soldiers above all else. In 2006, we were preparing for the now famous troop “surge” in Iraq. Construction was fast and… Read More »
[September 19, 2018] The U.S. military sometimes embodies, not unlike other complex organizations what I will call, a “culture of slow change.” If there is, however, one thing that is quick, predictable, and helpful, it is the fact that our troops themselves are highly responsive. Want a mission accomplished? They are on it quick and decisively. What an… Read More »
[September 15, 2018] A few long-time readers will recognize this title from a similar article from early last year (see link). In it I wrote that great leaders understanding people are at the central theme of leadership. But there is more. Leadership is also influenced heavily by one’s culture. Culture is an accumulation of behavioral practices that both… Read More »