[July 17, 2014] Can leaders learn from reality television? Earlier this year I proposed that, yes, we can learn from television and from movies … but there are some serious limitations of course. One reality show called “Say Yes to the Dress” is what the name implies. Women are looking for a unique dress to wear on a… Read More »
[July 17, 2014] One of the most fundamental truths about humans is that we can accomplish more things … faster, better, greater … than we can working alone. This is why teamwork is so valued wherever we work and play; and has been throughout history. Humans respect and admire teamwork in sports, business, military, religion, and family life;… Read More »
[July 16, 2014] If you were standing in the New Mexico desert, just south of Santa Fe on this date in 1945, you would have seen the first nuclear explosion and the beginning of a new age in warfare. Sixty-nine years ago today the Manhattan Project, also called Project Y, came to a successful end with the explosion… Read More »
[July 14, 2014] One of the most profound and tragic lessons learned from World War I was that senior leaders being there in person, at the point of action, was critical for success of the operation. Whether the situation involves a large military action, a major business transition, or a national disaster, the senior leader must be physically… Read More »
[July 15, 2014] “America: Imagine the World Without Her;” a new movie now playing in theaters proposes the idea of a world without the United States and the results. The National Intelligence Council’s Global Trends 2030 lists one potential game-changer in the world as the “uncertain role of the United States.” Lack of trust in the government was… Read More »
[July 15, 2014] Thirty-five years ago today on July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter gave what has been called the “malaise speech.” Others called it his greatest speech and likewise many have called it the worst speech ever given by a U.S. president. The New York Times said the speech “struck a chord” and that it was on-target… Read More »
[July 14, 2014] It was 1916. If you were part of General Pershing’s punitive expedition against Poncho Villa, you may have been riding one of the U.S. Army’s Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Motorization of bicycles in the early 1900s started a movement that has never gone away. Any person who has spent time on a motorcycle understands that “it gets… Read More »
[July 14, 2014] “War solves nothing.” Of course, for those with a knowledge of history, we know that is not what the rest of the world thinks. The popularity of war and conflict is self explanatory – it works. In Part 1 (link here), I proposed that the de facto policy of the United States regarding our allies… Read More »
[July 13, 2014] While attending an advanced officer course in the mid 1980s, I had the pleasure of meeting a friendly Ukrainian doctor. He was “as old as Methuselah” but was taking his time ensuring all the Army captains were in sound physical health. When my turn came to speak with him, I asked about his origins. He… Read More »
[July 13, 2014] “War solves nothing.” Well … at least that is what we’ve been told in America over and again many times. By that logic, both World Wars and the Korean War should not have been fought. America was a big participant and, of course, neither war was started by us. Yet, today’s de facto policy of… Read More »