[December 6, 2021] A good friend of mine was an outstanding leader of Soldiers. He was a U.S. Army Infantry officer, and he was the type of person you wanted to be in charge of troops in time of war. Bill was aggressive, reliable, trustworthy, and could operate with little guidance or help. His weakness was that he… Read More »
[December 5, 2021] Leaders must be sufficiently competent in their professions to survive. High-quality leaders can perform the duties of their job with an acceptable level of quality – a combination of knowledge, judgment, and skills. Such professional competence does not come without sacrifice. Technical competence will not assure a leader’s success since other traits are a part… Read More »
[December 3, 2021] FUBAR? Can you learn anything from today’s military? As the American people rapidly lose confidence in our military, America’s senior-most Generals and Admirals are doubling down on policies that have nothing to do with warfighting. We Americans “see” what’s happening, and we don’t like it. Is it even worth it for young people to join… Read More »
[December 2, 2021] During the U.S. Civil War, the early years were not going well for the Union under President Abraham Lincoln. Yet, his undertaking was designed to preserve the Union, and he strove to persuade, influence, incentivize, and communicate hope and resolve. What strategic lesson learned can we get from Lincoln’s actions? While most of us with… Read More »
[December 1, 2021] By the end of 2006, I had spent more than a year and a half in Iraq working with their citizens. I thought I knew them but, like other Americans, I did not. Understanding other cultures takes time, patience, and a high degree of empathy, smarts, and devotion. By that time, I figured out we… Read More »
[November 30, 2021] I was sitting on a chair overlooking an Army-level tabletop exercise conducted in South Korea. The array of U.S. and Republic of Korea military forces were across the Korean peninsula and seas. Impressive! But could we understand what the commander wanted? Would clear communication work this time? What the symbology and geography told me was… Read More »
[November 29, 2021] No one likes a fraud; a person who pretends to be someone or something they are not. Perhaps this dislike is innate to humans, or maybe learned, but being a fraud means breaking the most critical element of humanness; trust. A Canadian medical researcher who rose to become the nation’s top voice on indigenous health… Read More »
[November 28, 2021] Near where I live, a few days ago, I visited a “horse farm” called Chestnut Run Farm. A small group of motivated local folks was there helping Veterans heal mentally. They started this non-profit to make a difference. I have discovered that there are good leaders everywhere, sometimes you have to find them; in this… Read More »
[November 27, 2021] The crusty, old Master Sergeant at our Battalion Command Post was the man we all gravitated to. If you wanted someone in your foxhole when the enemy was attacking, you needed him there with you, operating the machine gun and killing enemy soldiers. His greatest advice, Keep your cool, man! I was in a meeting… Read More »
[November 26, 2021] People have an intrinsic ability to call a hypocrite when they see one, and they see it in our news media. When I started this blog, I wrote on a “bias” in news media reporting. Their reporting was egregious, getting the facts wrong every time and unwilling to correct their “news,” which I call Media… Read More »