[December 19, 2016] Yesterday was World War One’s 100th anniversary of the last day of the Battle of Verdun; December 18, 1916. Most folks will have little interest about this particular battle but at the time it was the longest, largest, and most destructive battle in human history and also part of the first global war. We should… Read More »
[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 7, 2016] There are many military analysts who claim that the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese Empire on this day, December 7, 1941 could have been prevented, or the destruction reduced, and that it was a gross failure of the military and of the political administration of President Roosevelt. There are also a number of… Read More »
[November 12, 2016] As a U.S. Army Private (the very lowest rank), I had the dubious task one day of escorting our new Lieutenant around to meet all the unit’s soldiers on our military base. The location was small because it was in West Germany and it had been a World War II German Army ammunition depot …… Read More »
[November 7, 2016] Senior leaders are judged on their effectiveness. One of the resources to ensure a leader can do their job is a good executive staff and skillful advisors; the makeup of which is crucial to leader success. But when staffs and advisors are composed of yes-men, the leader will be isolated from reality and a distorted… Read More »
[November 6, 2016] I’ve said in the past that when leaders speak and take action, it’s imperative that it be done in a clear, concise, and vigorous manner. Good leaders leave no room for misunderstandings or for distortions. Reality is, however, different. Leaders will occasionally send unintended messages regardless of how careful or precise they may be. “It… Read More »
[October 30, 2016] In Part 1 of this two-part series on T.E. Lawrence, I wrote about how he recommends fighting alongside Arab troops. But what Lawrence does best is give us his thinking on how to be successful when working with another culture so different from his own British origins. Lawrence gives a good view of this thoughts… Read More »
[October 29, 2016] On occasion I present a leader who is well known through their actions or their writings. My intent is to get into the mind of that person so that those of us who study leadership can better understand the thinking of those who were successful, and even exceptional, in carrying out their leadership duties. Today,… Read More »
[October 27, 2016] I grew up in the Deep South, rural Louisiana, where we had strict rules about how children were to behave. One hard-and-fast rule in my family was that my brother and I got to watch only one “war show” per week and the one we chose was the television series called Combat! The show was… Read More »