[January 8, 2019] Why concern ourselves with real rules for leaders? First, these are not suggestions but are things that leaders must do to be successful. Certainly, you can be a leader and disobey any number of rules, but you cannot be effective in the long term if you do. Today, my goal is to provide some additional… Read More »
[January 7, 2019] A few weeks ago I was challenged by a number of my friends to compose a list a set of rules for leaders (my Type A personality smiled upon their request). And by this they were clear in what they were saying; not suggestions, recommendations, or tips but real rules. I’ve laid out here a… Read More »
[January 6, 2019] There are many reasons leaders should express their opinion; especially when their expertise and knowledge is significant or where it would do the most good. Our leadership training and a vast array of research suggests that an inherent duty of great leaders is to provide a thoughtful opinion. However, counterintuitive advice advocates that as a… Read More »
[January 5, 2019] “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” is a well-known phrase from the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It goes on to say that these are “unalienable rights” which have been given to all humans by their creator. The best leaders are those who push us toward such common goals (as noted in this phrase) and… Read More »
[January 4, 2019] I couldn’t help it. Just like my attraction toward the study of grand strategy, I’m drawn to the study of the individual. More often, I find myself looking for ways to better understand people; usually through direct interaction but also through formal book study. Creating good habits, knowing what makes up great leadership, what leaders… Read More »
[January 3, 2019] Communism is a failure. It has failed historically in every form it takes, regardless of the political environment, an abundance of resources, the power of its leadership, or strength of its citizens. And so it is with the communist movement known as Shining Path Maoist Marxists who nearly brought the country of Peru to its… Read More »
[January 2, 2019] It’s difficult enough to be a leader each day, but every person must also be involved in sustaining leadership. The trick is to be motivated and stay effective. A good friend of mine said many times that the daily grind of leadership is difficult and is what sets apart the good from the great. “Getting… Read More »
[January 1, 2019] Each year I take a little time to gaze into the murky crystal ball of the future and attempt to predict what hot leadership topics will be available for us to discuss. Why should I do this prediction thing, even when those prognostications turn out to be wrong? Well, I get to put my thinking… Read More »
[December 31, 2018] As we end the year 2018, many of us will be looking back at those things we’ve gained intellectually and perhaps also at our lost opportunities. While lost opportunities are often a subject with family and friends, what is often missing from the conversation are the poor attitudes that drive them. I use the term… Read More »
[December 30, 2018] As a U.S. Army Private I witnessed a strange event during one of my unit’s formations that stuck with me. Our Platoon Leader, a new Second Lieutenant, was yelling at our platoon one day. Just then, our Commander strolled out, put his hand on the LT’s shoulder, and calmly gave him some advice. I couldn’t… Read More »