[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 »
[April 10, 2017] A leader can be the best for the job, can be the smartest and strongest person, and can have all the resources available … but can still fail. We’ve all seen it happen when one of our best leaders fails to accomplish an important mission. Authentic leaders will never blame others or outside events for… Read More »
[April 9, 2017] One day many years ago I was visiting Fort Dix, New Jersey; a small U.S. Army base where mostly Reservists and Guardsmen train and located east of Philadelphia across the Delaware River. The commander of the base was a senior Colonel and a rising star in the military. He was eager to tell me that… Read More »
[April 8, 2017] It has been the history of humankind to wage war against one another and to do so for reasons that, at times, escapes our understanding. But what we do know is that those who failed to prepare themselves against outside forces always ceased to exist.1 The Founding Fathers of the United States were adamant in… Read More »
[April 7, 2017] Leaders get things done; they are doers and “get ‘er done” is their motto. There is a predisposition to action that real leaders have to overcome any obstacle or issue that warrants their attention. We reward leaders for it and drive it into their whole being. This bias is the fundamental element found across all… Read More »
[April 6, 2017] I had a good laugh the other day as I was discussing this upcoming post naming Roger Baldwin as a hero. You see, Baldwin is a lawyer and his reputation was mediocre for a senior leader. With one exception, he generally did okay for himself; in another instance he oversaw a trial that was famous… Read More »
[April 5, 2017] My wife’s favorite movie is Fiddler on the Roof (1971) starring Topol. It’s about a Jewish milkman, living in the Ukraine, who is challenged with marrying off his daughters and his attempts to preserve his Jewish religious and cultural traditions as outsider forces encroach on his family’s lives. He sings early in the movie that… Read More »