[December 29, 2017] The night was unusually dark and windy … perfect weather for an attack on an enemy fortified position located in a village just east of Baghdad. We had complete tactical surprise because unit leaders were ready to make sound and timely decisions. Over 25 Sunni insurgents were killed or captured that night due to the… Read More »
[December 28, 2017] In 1962, Avid Rental Car was losing money and looking to reinvent itself.1 Avis was trailing behind the market leader Hertz, so they hired an ad agency which came up with the slogan, “When you’re only No. 2, you try harder … or else.” Avis executives were terrified of failure; one thing they were not… Read More »
[December 27, 2017] Over the Christmas holidays I had the fortune to speak with military veterans attending location colleges. I do this as a free service to them; something I had no opportunity as a student many decades ago. In one instance, I was surprised to see a college administrator in attendance who complained that I was working… Read More »
[December 26, 2017] It has been said that throughout human history when leaders ignore or appease evil it means to invite even more evil. We see this in the schoolyard bully who continues his bad behavior despite the disapproval of but not punished by teachers and administrators. The case of the rogue regime of North Korea is a… Read More »
[December 25, 2017] What do leaders do on Christmas? What is it that they may (or may not do) on Christmas or on any holiday of the year? The answer is simple if we know the leader is good at what they do. That leader is out and about visiting others, helping where they can, and generally making… Read More »
[December 23, 2017] Popularity is not leadership at all and saying a leader needs it to get things done is a myth. In fact, the popularity of leaders is not a prerequisite for good leadership but it can help get one’s agenda through.1 In the country of Iraq, the most popular man is Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi who… Read More »
[December 22, 2017] A few months ago I had the opportunity to witness good leadership on the part of our Boy Scout Troop Scoutmaster. A new 12-year old scout was about to go on his first campout. The scoutmaster had a long conversation with the scout explaining the potential problems and the opportunities such a trip would provide. … Read More »
[December 21, 2017] For most of us over the age of 50, we were taught in grade school about the difficulties the Pilgrim Fathers experienced in their first year in the New World. Their adopted rules, an experiment of sorts, were supportive of communal property and cultivating the land in common. The result was an immense failure because… Read More »
[December 20, 2017] The idea that the study of pivotal events in history provide invaluable lessons toward the improvement of humankind (and leadership) is a theme often expressed in this blog; theLeaderMaker.com. While truth behind this idea is often neglected, we should remember both the events at Nanking in 1937 and how it is treated today.1 “Victory usually… Read More »
[December 19, 2017] This is not a post about combat but the application of what has been a basic principle of it since recorded time; chose the battlefield. If you want to defeat your enemy (or win in business) then you must choose the time, place, and tactics of your actions and not let others determine what you… Read More »