[April 20, 2017] We’ve all been told that railroads in the United States are a technology of the past and will soon go the way of the dinosaur. The classic steel rail and wooden crossbeam, heavy railroad car, and diesel locomotives are bound for the scrapheap … so they say. They are wrong and that is why the… Read More »
[April 19 2017] Leadership is about people; young, old, male, female, your competitors, your family, the boss’s boss, etc. It’s about us all … and that is yet so simple of a concept that it’s often overlooked by leaders. But, the greatest leaders have never forgotten that it is about, and will always be about, all people. If… Read More »
[April 18 2017] The title of this blog is not the most elegant … but it is a quote from one of the best U.S. Army Sergeant Majors in recent times. I was sitting in the audience of soldiers and military families when the guest speaker said these words. I instantly connected to the speaker and idea. Yes,… Read More »
[April 17, 2017] There has been a lot of discussion recently about what message U.S. President Donald Trump intended to send when he authorized a military strike on a Syrian air base. For those familiar with the complexities of great leadership, things are not so simple. I support this authorization because I understand what he means and so… Read More »
[April 16, 2017] Three of us stood in the town of Vicksburg on the high banks of the Mississippi River overlooking where Union ships had run the Confederate shore batteries exactly 150 years before. With me was a South Korean Army general and a U.S. Army general; the latter whose family had lived in Vicksburg for more than… Read More »
[April 15, 2017] We deserve a little levity today. In the United States, this date is when our annual taxes are due. Today is also the anniversary of the RMS Titanic sinking, U.S. President Lincoln dying from an assassin’s bullet, and terrorist bombing the Boston Marathon; among other infamous events. It is also the day that Molly Brown… Read More »
[April 14, 2017] Late in January, the Winter of 2007, on the outskirts of the city of Baghdad Iraq, I was given the most difficult mission that can be assigned to an Engineer. Personally given to me by General David Petraeus, Coalition Commander, I was to prepare to receive 45,000 combat troops in six months. My only request? … Read More »
[April 13, 2017] Those who study leadership find common ground when learning about great leaders of the past; the benefits being clear. So why would we, as a matter of limited time available to us, want to study Amelia Earhart who was a famous pilot in early aviation history? “Never interrupt someone doing what you said couldn’t be… Read More »
[April 12, 2017] Jousting is an old European martial sport originating sometime in the High Middle Ages1 and being popular among the Anglo-Norman knighthood because it showed courage, strength, endurance, and glory. Today it’s being revived and it is a manly endeavor. Some say it is accurately described as the world’s most dangerous sport in history. Louis Zamperini,… Read More »
[April 11, 2017] I’ve been involved with leadership for decades and yet one of the more frustrating things I’ve faced is a consistent narrative that goes something like this, “If you want to learn about leadership, then learn it from a senior leader.” Frankly, nothing could be further from the truth, and today I have a special treat… Read More »