[June 6, 2017] When Lieutenant Shawn McFarland began his career as a young officer at Fort Polk, Louisiana, he was a mess; often failed to complete his assignments and tasks given him by his commanding officer. His commander once wrote in an annual evaluation that McFarland was untrustworthy and unrealizable. Like McFarland there are a small number in… Read More »
[June 5, 2017] A few days ago I turned old enough to qualify for Medicare and to be given a discount at my local grocery and liquor stores. Alas, most people are not interested in the saga of aging and so be it to me to buck that trend. But if I were young again there are five… Read More »
[June 3, 2017] In December last year I profiled U.S. Army General Raymond Odierno. Senior military Flag Officers in the U.S. are similar in many of their key traits, but also differ significantly in other areas of leadership. One that differs is James Mattis, retired U.S. Marine four-star general and current Secretary of Defense under U.S. President Donald… Read More »
[April 2, 2017] In Part 1 the strategy of thinking (an analytical tool) was introduced; a technique to help us get our thoughts in order. Teaching young leaders how to think is the beginning for them to learn to advance in a complex and competitive world. It is something they can use, modify to suit their needs, and… Read More »
[June 1, 2017] Young leaders often find themselves making poor decisions and involved in situations in which they are unprepared. Often, the root cause is their lack of education on how to think successfully. Teaching young leaders how to think is one of the ways senior leaders can help them. It took me joining the U.S. Army and… Read More »
[May 31, 2017] “Get your act together, boy!” This is how my grandmother would admonish me after I screwed up something important; to get my attention and to put me on the right path to manhood. And it now looks like the Iraqi military is about to get their act together to destroy the remaining elements of ISIS… Read More »
[May 30, 2017] Looking back over the last two centuries, the world has learned several important lessons regarding warfare and its close association to politics. One of the most fundamental is that appeasement doesn’t work and is deeply counterproductive when used. So it is with North Korea and the record of appeasement of that country going back to… Read More »
[May 28, 2017] Many of my commanders in the U.S. Army were among the best this nation ever had to offer but it also included a few of the worst. My first company commander was a man with many faults, one of which was that he often chose to ignore the consequences of his own actions. Ignoring consequences… Read More »
[May 27, 2017] If we were able to peer into the mindset of a narcissist, inexperienced manager, or failed leader the one thing we would find in common is their penchant at creating confusion. Yet, it is the epitome of great leaders to thrive on making the best of volatility, uncertainty, chaos, and ambiguity in complex environments. Experienced,… Read More »
[May 26, 2017] Get er done is an American colloquial phrase and philosophy that tells leaders to do the right things to succeed in life. There always seems to be too much to do and not enough time. Get er done helps push us to get what needs to be done and done without procrastination, hesitation, or excuses.… Read More »