[August 13, 2020] I’m old enough to remember seeing – with my own eyes – the terrible treatment of our Vietnam War vets when returning from war. When I joined the U.S. Army in late 1974, I made myself a promise that I would not tolerate such egregious behavior by anyone. The treatment these veterans received was unacceptable… Read More »
[August 12, 2020] I’m starting a new mini-series about leadership lessons taken from the writings of famous Revolutionary War heroes. To begin the series, I will start with Samuel Adams (1722-1803) as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and political philosopher. After Sam Adams passed away, his legacy was shrouded in controversy. In the early… Read More »
[August 11, 2020] Leaders with authority should be aware of the image they project by what they do and say. Even the most beautiful women look into mirrors to see how they appear to others and take action to improve what they see in the glass. Similarly, leaders should be looking into the mirror of their minds to… Read More »
[August 10, 2020] Each year in the United States and nearly every country on Earth, there is a time set aside to honor those who died in their service to the Nation. Memorial Day 2020 was on May 25th, and I wrote about this topic to note the sacredness of the holiday.1 But rarely do we ask the… Read More »
[August 9, 2020] A former Army Sgt Major sent this to me on Facebook and thought I would share it. All of it is true. Great leader advice! No. 1. Yelling doesn’t make you skinny. Daily Physical Training (PT) does. If you’re not out there saluting the flag every morning at 6:30, you can automatically assume your Soldiers… Read More »
[August 8, 2020] The ultimate goal of any leader is to lead people from Point A (a less desirable place) to Point B (a better place). The “how” is what leadership is all about. When there is a point in the future no sane person wants to get to, the best leaders develop a strategy, gathers resources, and… Read More »
[August 7, 2020] Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest President in the Nation’s history when he assumed those responsibilities upon the death of William McKinley. Roosevelt took the view that the Presidency was the “steward of the people.” And, we can find a similar leadership philosophy in the company called Trader Joe’s. “It is only through labor and painful… Read More »
[August 6, 2020] I don’t go to movie theaters anymore for the obvious reasons; sticky floors, idiots on their cell phones, poor service, and high prices. But, I recently saw the movie Midway (2019) on Netflix. My wife pointed out that the Rotten Tomatoes reviewers had given it a pathetic 41% rating while the Audience gave it a… Read More »
[August 5, 2020] Labeled as “one of the most significant occurrences in the history of the Jewish people,” the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in the Spring of 1943 was doomed to failure. This was the largest single revolt by Jews during World War II and is a symbol of freedom that we closely review for the lessons that can… Read More »
[August 4, 2020] Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese general and philosopher, once said, “If words of command are not clear and distinct if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame.” Some people say that a leader should only give his “intent” and allow those who follow the latitude to make proper decisions. That, however, doesn’t… Read More »