[July 6, 2020] There are no words in the English language that is worse than being called a coward. Growing up in a culture steeped in military customs and populated by veterans, I feared being called a coward or, worse yet, a yellow-bellied snake. The rhetorical references are explicit; if you are a coward, then there is nothing… Read More »
[July 5, 2020] I first saw the men of 111th Sapper Company on the outskirts of Baghdad back in late 2003. What these Soldiers did was hard work. They had just returned from a grueling mission of finding and destroying roadside bombs and were getting their baseballs and gloves out for another fun game. Their commander, a red-haired… Read More »
[July 3, 2020] Morgan Freedman is a famous American actor, producer, businessman, and activist. His success as an actor is renowned throughout the world. I like him because he has a view of the world that is similar to what I write about in this leadership blog. Morgan Freedman has something many in Hollywood do not have. He… Read More »
[July 2, 2020] It’s familiar practice for senior military leaders to provide a day for junior enlisted men or women to step into the Commanders’ role. Being “Commander for a Day” is an opportunity to open one’s eyes to leadership responsibilities, hard work, and effort necessary to shoulder such a position.1 It also allows a Commander to walk… Read More »
[July 1, 2020] KP duty, cleaning toilets with a toothbrush, and painting rocks were the first jobs I had in the U.S. Army. I didn’t like any of them but especially didn’t like painting rocks because I saw no value in it. It was a mindless waste of time, “busy work.” But I did learn something from the… Read More »
[June 30, 2020] There is a weakness in U.S. military leaders and their peers in the civilian sector. For the past few decades there is a problem and it is not getting better. The flaw is not apparent but the fix is easy. When senior leaders have honest conversations with those that work for them their leadership effectiveness… Read More »
[June 29, 2020] If you’re a pessimist, you might like this story. This is the untold story of dying institutions across the world. Institutions like marriage, education, comedy, politics, religion, and the economy are taking it on the chin. They are being hard hit but are necessary to ensure that a society properly functions. They are the backbone… Read More »
[June 27, 2020] World War II produced photographs that still capture our attention. One of the most famous is the iconic photo by Joe Rosenthal of U.S. Marines raising the Star and Stripes over Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima, February 23, 1945.1 What is lesser known for Americans is the story behind another famous photo; this one of… Read More »
[June 26, 2020] Past U.S. President Ronald Reagan is known as the “great communicator.” Like Reagan, all leaders want to clearly and accurately communicate their thinking through speech or the written word. That does not, however, always work out as intended. Conflicting messages are common, and I will address five important reasons here. There is no consistent and… Read More »
[June 25, 2020] Leader routines can be a handy way to strengthen job efficiency and effectiveness. We all know that. Today, I will comment on leader routines and how they differ from the average person. Routines provide structure, predictability, and stability. It reduces the chaos in our lives and is also true for leaders. The problem with leaders,… Read More »