[June 13, 2020] My favorite story from childhood was The Tortoise and the Hare. As one of Aesop’s fables, it tells the chronicle of a race between the slow tortoise and the speedy hare. Some have written that his folktale means that ingenuity and trickery, rather than doggedness and persistence, are best used to overcome a stronger opponent. … Read More »
[June 10, 2020] There are many characteristics of strong leaders. They are sincere, decisive, charismatic, honest, and have great communication skills. History is replete with examples. U.S President Dwight D. Eisenhower was one of those strong leaders. Just a few months into his presidency, America’s foreign policies came under fire1 for allowing the U.S. to be too involved… Read More »
[June 9, 2020] Learning to be a good leader can be difficult. The time with others training, studying, and working in leadership roles helps that process; or so I’ve been told. In 1983, I was a new U.S. Army Second Lieutenant attending the Infantry Officer Basic Course. At the end of a particularly grueling three-week phase of mechanized… Read More »
[June 8, 2020] This may come as somewhat of a surprise, but there are skills we don’t teach leaders. I don’t mean that leadership itself is not trained, formally, or informally, which is the case in many organizations. Leaders are not taught essential aspects of leadership that are both necessary to succeed and required for movement into positions… Read More »
[June 7, 2020] I live in Southern New Jersey; about two hours drive from New York City (to downtown Manhattan). My wife and I still have relatives, and many friends who live in the City, and they love it and would not live anywhere else. What surprised me was that many of them moved away temporarily to avoid… Read More »
[June 6, 2020] The anniversary of D-Day, the most famous battle of the twentieth century occurred this date, 6 June 1944. Sixty years later, 6 June 2004, my unit was stationed in Baghdad, Iraq – it was still early in our war. Our day began hot and dry with clear skies, a forecast that would not change until… Read More »
[June 5, 2020] I’ve been in the military long enough to have a good understanding of the concept the enemy gets a vote. It doesn’t take experience, the study of battles, or deep thinking to gain a better understanding of it. ‘The enemy gets a vote’ phrase intimates that our competitors are human beings with emotions, thoughts, needs,… Read More »
[June 4, 2020] Our time as leaders is limited. We only get to spend so much time in any given position, and we are restricted to how much time we have to accomplish a mission and care for others. This is why an old sergeant, Vietnam vet, and mentor, I knew advised me to use my time properly… Read More »
[June 2, 2020] After a peaceful day of protests in Atlantic City, New Jersey, mostly black rioters, started destroying storefronts throughout the city. Atlantic City is small compared to Minneapolis, New York City, or Seattle. But it’s mayor, Marty Small, Sr., is a big man, a man with ideas on how to make the lives of his citizens… Read More »
[May 30, 2020] The year before my good friends Bill, Greg, and I were headed to the same college for degrees in engineering, we each bought a car. In Texas, a car is a “must have” if you plan to get anywhere. We all envied Greg. He bought a 1968 red Chevrolet Camaro. The car was in immaculate… Read More »