[October 16, 2014] Ten years after the 1973 Yom Kippur War, I had the rare opportunity to interview an Egyptian Army General who commanded on the battlefield during this war. His perspective on the war gave me insight into the Middle East and the mindset of some of those involved. Although our conversation occurred over 30 years ago,… Read More »
[October 15, 2014] During the 1967 and 1973 Arab-Israeli Wars1, the militaries of the Arab states2 were well organized but performed poorly on the battlefield. For those of us who study war, it is well known that militaries of socialist countries are inferior to democratic national armies. While it is hard to pinpoint any one reason why, what… Read More »
[October 14, 2014] One of my best friends, with a great personality and positive disposition, was recently relieved of his military duties. He was a Flag officer and had responsibility for thousands of soldiers. To obtain this station in the military meant that he had to prove himself worthy over many years. Just recently he was also asked… Read More »
[October 13, 2014] More senior leadership failures and successes who speak their mind Note. Wow, this week there were a number of senior leaders in the news, most of them making comments they probably wish they had another chance at making. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is back with another gaffe. I will resist the temptation to create… Read More »
[October 11, 2014] My grandmother was always trying to make a “man” out of me. She had the most ingenious of methods to ensure that I grew up tough and unafraid of the world. One way was to bribe me into participating in various sports – “It makes you stronger, young man,” she would say. One sport she… Read More »
[October 10, 2014] There is a new theme in the professional study of senior leaders and it says that those leaders must have a sense of unpretentiousness to be effective and successful. Anyone being familiar with U.S. leaders, and its military culture in particular, knows that such a character trait of their military men certainly does not include… Read More »
[October 09, 2014] Ernesto Che Guevara is one of the most iconic revolutionary figures of the 20th Century. He continues to be admired, mostly in the Americas and in particular in Cuba where he assisted Fidel Castro overthrowing the Batista government. His name evokes strong emotion from socialists and communists alike throughout the world. Yet why is that… Read More »
[October 07, 2014] Occasionally we hear about the good works of Hollywood stars – those helping people in need by giving money – but rarely do we hear about them providing opportunities and real leadership. Twenty years ago Gary Sinise co-starred in the movie Forest Gump alongside Tom Hanks. Unexpectedly, the movie helped propel him into a leadership… Read More »
[October 06, 2014] The War to End all Wars is largely fixed in our minds as one of trench warfare and rigid militaries. While this is taught to us in the most basic history courses, WWI was also marked by continuous maneuver warfare, technical innovations, and complex politico-military relationships that resonant today. From these complexities, we can derive… Read More »
[October 05, 2014] More senior leadership failures and successes who speak their mind Note. This week we have seen a number of senior leaders in the news. Most of them are addressing failures in their organization or are justifying actions taken by those they oversee. In the case of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, the damage caused by… Read More »