[April 28, 2019] An elemental part of intelligent leadership means being able to hold an idea in your mind and not accept or reject it. To examine an idea for its value and to entertain its significance is difficult. Nothing is more challenging than the ability to study, debate, and think through a concept without immediately accepting or… Read More »
[April 5, 2019] There’s an old stereotype about high-ranking politicians; they cannot function without an entourage of hangers-on, large staffs, and a litany of helpers and attention seekers. It would seem our political leaders are out of touch with the world because they exist in a bubble, dependent upon others. In the military, we call any such person… Read More »
[March 24, 2019] Henry Ford was one of America’s foremost industrialists; revolutionalizing assembly-line modes of production for the automobile. It comes as no surprise that the title of my article today is one of his direct quotes; don’t find fault, find a remedy. “Most people spend more time and energy going around problems than in trying to solve… Read More »
[February 28, 2019] Actor Steve Martin is one of my favorite comedians. Back in 1979, he starred in a slapstick comedy called The Jerk. It’s about an idiotic man who struggles to make it through life on his own. Definitely non-politically correct today, it’s the type of absurdist entertainment Americans loved so much. Watch the trailer here for… Read More »
[February 20, 2019] “Get that wax outta your ears!” My mother was fond of giving me advice that my other siblings seemed to never get. She would say, “You hear me but you don’t HEAR me.” She was telling me that to be a good son, I had to listen to understand; not just listen to her words.… Read More »
[February 14, 2019] Criticizing military leaders for their failures is not something I write about lightly. But, as all who have “been there and done that,” know that criticizing can have a meaningful and positive impact. The reason that thoughtful criticism is necessary is that people die when military leadership fails. One good thing about U.S. military leaders… Read More »
[February 7, 2019] I had only been command of my new Infantry Company for a little over a month but my boss (the Battalion Commander) already didn’t like me. He said I was “too bold.” One day we were to convoy back to Fort Hood, Texas from a local training area. My company was last (eat me dust)… Read More »
[February 5, 2019] It’s been said that leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. While life and sports are about doing exactly this, only those who are best organized can actually succeed. Sunday evening, the New England Patriots won Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams in a tough game: scoring 13 – 3. Sports… Read More »
[January 31, 2019] After watching a video of an army armored Task Force get “destroyed” during wargames at Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC), I promised my soldiers that would not happen to them. It became evident during the briefing that a previous unit’s Commander had failed to connect the dots from the bits of Intelligence on the… Read More »
[January 26, 2019] In 2007, on my first trip to Brooklyn, New York, I saw a huge traffic sign that read, “Fuhgeddaboudit.” I thought to myself that it was strange to have an unintelligible word so prominently displayed in this famous city. Fuhgeddaboudit (i.e., forget about it) is a quote from television character Ralph Kramden of 1955-56 The… Read More »