[April 20, 2018] The army Captain barked that he was looking for a commitment from all the 2nd Lieutenants going through the basic course at Fort Benning, Georgia. We all asked ourselves why he was even saying this; of course, we were “committed.” But what we later discovered was that his interest was more … it was for… Read More »
[April 19, 2018] Last week, a Boy Scout in the Troop in which I volunteer, asked me how he could get younger scouts to attend more meetings. After discussing the issue with him for a few minutes, I brought up the subject of what military leaders do and don’t do to motivate soldiers. “Dream more than others think… Read More »
[April 18, 2018] At 5:13 am on this date, April 18, 1906, the city of San Francisco, California experienced a massive earthquake that was felt along nearly all of the West Coast. Massive fires then broke out threatening to kill thousands. The only way city leaders could control the problem was to think big, act quickly, and not… Read More »
[April 17, 2018] I frequently tell the story of how West Point military cadets behave when they are allowed to buy small treats from one of the many vending machines. On top of the machines are coins that accumulated in the change slot and no one has claimed. No cadet dare take a coin for themselves, as this… Read More »
[April 16, 2018] My High School friend’s dad was a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Abilene, Texas. On several occasions when my friend and I were annoyed by all the jet noise, his dad would say; Boys, that is the sound of freedom. Americans have always been seen as an odd… Read More »
[April 15, 2018] Early in my military career I learned about being brief and to the point. “Don’t waste people’s time,” was said about as often as we cleaned our rifles. I’m always looking for leadership methods I can put into my personal toolbox and the standup meeting is one of them. Also called morning roll-call or daily… Read More »
[April 14, 2018] It has been said that it is a person’s own mind, not the enemy or foe, which lures a person to evil ways. Evil (what it is and is not) is humankind’s greatest mystery which remains unresolved yet continues to be tenacious in its damage to countless civilizations. I often chuckle to myself when I… Read More »
[April 13, 2018] Army Vet takes a hard look at American GENERALS and ADMIRALS and comes away believing they are not the leaders they should be. U.S. military Generals aren’t leaders anymore. That also includes admirals from the Navy and Coast Guard; which are much worse! I’ll stick to the Army Generals for the moment and tell you… Read More »
[April 12, 2018] When I was working on my college degree, I heard the story about a small group of students who were admitted to Navy ROTC and yet none had the proper grades. It was a clerical error but they were allowed to stay and, to everyone’s surprise, all but one finished. At that point, I concluded… Read More »
[April 11, 2018] You and I have probably had a similar experience with a boss that made us madder-n-hell. Like so many folks, I had a boss that had few leadership skills yet held the title of “Commander.” To those who worked for him, he was a leader in name only. I personally don’t hold the expectation that… Read More »