Chose the Battlefield

By | December 19, 2017

[December 19, 2017]  This is not a post about combat but the application of what has been a basic principle of it since recorded time; chose the battlefield.  If you want to defeat your enemy (or win in business) then you must choose the time, place, and tactics of your actions and not let others determine what you… Read More »

Profile: U.S. Senator Tom Cotton

By | December 17, 2017

[December 17, 2017]  Several years ago I profiled U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and was criticized for writing about a “dead white guy.”  My goal here at theLeaderMaker.com will never be politically correct or conform to any recent social fads.  So, in this series I’ve profiled some of the most evil people and some of the best humankind has… Read More »

Neglected Topics: What Should Universities Teach Leaders?

By | December 16, 2017

By guest blogger Kevin Nelson [see Biography] [December 16, 2017]  There is an endless demand to develop better leaders. Leadership education is at a critical stage with many universities neglecting to add it into their curriculum. While there are some universities that offer leadership education, most of them offer a theoretical approach to leadership and forget to emphasize… Read More »

The Best Leaders Use Precise Language

By | December 14, 2017

[December 14, 2017]  Leadership has always been about the clear and concise use of language.  English as a language, however, is fraught with blurred and convoluted meanings as anyone learning it will attest.  Good leaders strive to overcome this problem by the use of precise language and continually improving upon those communication skills. My first semester in college… Read More »

No Substitute for Practical Experience

By | December 13, 2017

[December 13, 2017]  In the movie Aliens (1986), there is a scene where highly-trained colonial marines are about to be airdropped into a facility where they are to fight against the sinister extraterrestrials.  When asked by Ripley how many combat drops Lieutenant Gorman has under his belt, he replies, “uh, two, including this one.”  It did not inspire… Read More »

Leadership Toolbox: the Planning Cell

By | December 12, 2017

[December 12, 2017]  Good leadership means possessing a well-developed sense of planning ahead.  Not surprisingly it is also recognized in basic leader development that planning is the key to being prepared, good decision-making, and quality of life.  That is why the best leaders have a planning cell in their leadership toolbox. This “planning cell” – or whatever name… Read More »

World War I: a Cover-up 100 Years Ago

By | December 10, 2017

[December 10, 2017]  If we were to look for arrogance, hubris, and lack of concern for others, then look no further than what happened at the Battle of the Meuse-Argonne in 1918.  World War I was a gory affair; the battle that began in September that year would become the bloodiest for the new American Expeditionary Force (AEF). … Read More »