[February 5, 2021] I learned this important leadership lesson the hard way. My Infantry unit deployed to Ft. Pickett, VA in the late summer of 1983 for a “shake down” exercise. As Platoon Leader, I placed our crew-served M60 machinegun on our right flank and had my men dig in. My commander didn’t like the placement and told… Read More »
[February 4, 2021] U.K. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said that “Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides.” This quote says a lot about Steven Crowder, a staunch political conservative, commentator, Christian, and comedian. Steven Crowder does not stand in the middle of the road.… Read More »
[February 2, 2021] Why do you need a résumé? In today’s job market, it has become overwhelmingly the way to impress a potential employer. We are told that without a résumé, you are at a disadvantage. However, as a senior military officer, while still serving and after I left, I tell folks that I am not looking for… Read More »
[January 30, 2021] The Great Raid (2005) is a war film about the Raid at Cabanatuan prisoner of war camp on the island of Luzon, Philippines, during WW2. I saw it again, for the fifth time, last night. The film tells us about “the most daring rescue mission of our time.” The rescue included American soldiers, Alamo Scouts,… Read More »
[January 29, 2021] We already know, as leaders, that delegating authority is difficult but necessary. Yesterday in Part 1 (link here), I gave an example from my time as an Infantry Company Commander. This is the kind of job that allows you to see your men face-to-face and get to know every one of them. Feedback on your… Read More »
[January 28, 2021] My first evaluation as an Infantry Company Commander said that I was ‘resistant to delegating authority.’ It was an insult, in my mind anyway, and an embarrassment as well. I knew that the art of leadership is not about ordering people around but finding the right people, delegating tasks to them, and giving them the… Read More »
[January 27, 2021] Long ago, as an Infantry Platoon Leader, I lead a convoy on a route that I did not explore in advance. My task was simple, “Take your platoon to the barracks on a pre-determined route.” I skipped the step, got my unit lost (temporarily), and was late arriving at my destination. I simply did not… Read More »
[January 26, 2021] I’m a positive kind of guy. I seem to always see the glass as half full rather than half empty. I take every person I meet with the attitude that they are good people who will not lie, cheat, or steal. I always look for the upside to every event and learn from even dire… Read More »
[January 17, 2021] Military officers are educated throughout their career that the military should stay out of partisan politics. Yesterday, in part 2 of this two-part series (link here), I argued there is a contradiction between this idea and the fact that what we do can be politically important. Thus, not everything political is off limits. The U.S.… Read More »
[January 16, 2021] The idea, instilled in all incoming U.S. military officers, that we should stay out of politics has always puzzled me. On the one hand, we are told that our behavior can have strategic effects, yet we keep our mouths shut about the political element of strategy.1 Like other publications,2 I was asked to comment on… Read More »