[April 8, 2018] Is that a sexist comment, or what? Perhaps, but I’ll write about it anyway because there is some truth to it and because it’s something leaders should keep in the back of their minds. My grandmother was especially fond of men in uniform and although she never saw me in mine, she was a big… Read More »
[March 7, 2015] Winston Churchill once said that an appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. Churchill, of course, is the man who helped save England during World War II and a man we should review as someone who knew a lot about war and human psychology. The man had nerve. Great… Read More »
[April 6, 2018] A close friend of mine was quickly headed for leader burnout. It was 2007 in Iraq; Engineers were pushing hard to prepare for the troop “surge” ordered by President Bush and things were not going well. Recently promoted to the rank of Colonel, he had been working long hours without any time off and stress… Read More »
[April 5, 2018] Anyone who has ever had a tough boss knows the value of a hard-hitting taskmaster that is committed to expanding your talents. Tough bosses can recognize talent before others do but they can also push you to do things you never thought possible. There may not have been a tougher boss than ballet choreographer Jerome… Read More »
[April 4, 2018] While in college my advisor recommended I take a class in U.S. government history. The course was considered one of the most demanding courses at the university. It provided the few of us allowed taking it the opportunity to learn the practical side of government strategy development. Like my classmates, I worked like a dog… Read More »
[April 3, 2018] There’s an old Mexican proverb that goes something like this, He who walks with wolves, learns to howl.1 This is a variation on advice that is found in since ancient times in the writings of ancient philosophers and from the Bible. It means that when we associate ourselves with good and wise people, we will… Read More »
[April 2, 2018] As a new Second Lieutenant, I was originally a slob; my clothes were everywhere, my refrigerator had expired food in it, and my desk at work was disorganized. One day I had a grizzled, old sergeant comes into my office to give me a piece of constructive advice. Get organized, he said, and while you’re… Read More »
[April 1, 2018] There’s an old adage that there are no atheists in foxholes. It comes from observations of ordinary people and soldiers made by Ernie Pyle; the famous World War II news correspondent. His observations were not unlike that of our local clergyman who sees more pews in churches filled across the nation, today … Easter Sunday.… Read More »
By guest blogger Brandon Stanley [March 31, 2018] Leadership is a work in progress. It is not easy to become a good leader, and it is even harder to remain one. But, the awards and fulfillment that comes once you achieve this is better than you could hope so. Because of this, many people strive to reach the… Read More »
[March 30, 2018] Soldiers in the military often encounter situations in a battle that are difficult to navigate because of conflicting values. Those values underpin how they are supposed to behave. For example, if a commander decides to attack an enemy hideout, it is likely that U.S. soldiers will die. The moral conflict is clear; protecting one’s soldiers… Read More »