[December 18, 2016] In early 2005, my military unit returned from a one-year stint in Iraq and my first tour in that country. Once back in the United States, I jotted down a few of my thoughts about the war, the Iraqis, terrorists, combat, contractors, home town folks, reporters, and politicians. Over the next few weeks, I’ll provide… Read More »
[December 17, 2016] In 1983 I was a new Second Lieutenant attending the U.S. Army Officer Basic Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. On my first day I purchased the 42nd Edition of The Army Officer’s Guide, copyright 1983 … and still have it on my desk today! The professional development of any leader can be traced to that… Read More »
[December 16, 2016] One of the many advantages of being a senior military Flag Officer is that you get to meet some of the most talented people in the world. Whether it was a business entrepreneur, religious figure, or political leader, our senior military personnel have met them to exchange ideas. What many of us discovered is that… Read More »
[December 15, 2016] “Your senior Warrant Officer has been arrested for taking bribes and giving favorable treatment to contractors,” so said a Criminal Investigation Division1 employee to me one day. One of the greatest shocks in my career was when one of my most trusted associates had, years earlier, given U.S. and foreign contractors unethical favors for monetary… Read More »
[December 14, 2016] Today’s senior leader blog post is inspired by Michael Barone’s article yesterday entitled “Some Free Advice for the Democratic Party.”1 The point of his article is a simple recommendation for the Party; end the alibi game, he writes. This resonated with me and I’ve many times advised leaders never blame the other guy for your… Read More »
[December 13, 2016] Too many senior leaders have led their followers down the road of anger and despair, oftentimes from wishful thinking. Whenever I reflect upon wishful thinking by leaders, I think back to the day I heard about the Reverend Jim Jones and his cult’s 1978 mass murder-suicide. The reasons are, of course, complex but it appears… Read More »
[December 12, 2016] Many books, articles, news stories, and such have written about bad bosses and all of us have spoken to one another about the poor leadership we’ve experienced. And I’ve written about the topic before (see links here, here, and here). Oftentimes leaders present a common picture of those traits of bad junior leaders who are… Read More »
[December 11, 2016] It was the early 1980s and I was on field maneuvers with my new Infantry Platoon. It was a difficult time that summer as we were simulating classic force-on-force combat, existing on little sleep, and working long, hard, frustrating days. One thing I was surprised to learn during those maneuvers was that it was our… Read More »
[December 10, 2016] An Assyrian Christian Bishop is responsible for freeing 226 captives seized by the Islamic State (or ISIS) terrorist group. Members of his flock were captured last year when 35 Christian towns were attacked simultaneously in the Khabur River valley in northern Syria.1 These Christians have been persecuted for generations and with the recent focus on… Read More »
[December 9, 2016] Now is the time of year that the best companies to work for are ranked. You can see the top 10, 25 or 100 companies and a variety of reputable firms are ranking them based on a number of classic criteria. The focus is usually on surveys that ask employees how they “feel” about their… Read More »