[June 5, 2020] I’ve been in the military long enough to have a good understanding of the concept the enemy gets a vote. It doesn’t take experience, the study of battles, or deep thinking to gain a better understanding of it. ‘The enemy gets a vote’ phrase intimates that our competitors are human beings with emotions, thoughts, needs,… Read More »
[June 4, 2020] Our time as leaders is limited. We only get to spend so much time in any given position, and we are restricted to how much time we have to accomplish a mission and care for others. This is why an old sergeant, Vietnam vet, and mentor, I knew advised me to use my time properly… Read More »
[June 3, 2020] Researches show that the children who play outside regularly have a better immune system and a more substantial sensory skill than those sitting before a dazzling screen for hours at a stretch. In 2018, Harvard’s Health researcher Claire McCarthy revealed that playing outside improves executive function, risk-taking ability. A long span of attention is another… Read More »
[May 31, 2020] For citizens of American in denial, for those with their heads up their butts, and for folks on the edge of sanity, the City of Minneapolis is “burning” literally and by large-scale rioting, vandalism, arson and looting, murder, and political opportunism not seen since the 1965 LA Watts or 1968 Chicago race riots or the… Read More »
[May 27, 2020] Leaders are essential to other people. And since they are also vital to any team or group, leaders have a moral and leadership obligation to take care of themselves. We don’t have to like our leaders or agree with them, but followers have an equal duty to remind leaders to care for themselves. Leaders should… Read More »
[May 23, 2020] Over the next few months, I will be dedicating space in my blog to discuss the leadership characteristics of George C. Marshall. After George Washington, Marshall is considered the “most respected soldier in American history.”1 Yet, he never commanded troops in battle, the customary path to greatness for a military leader. So what was it… Read More »
[May 19, 2020] A few days ago, I was asked by a contributor to my website to write an article on military humility. Humility, as a military leadership trait, has been in the news for only about a year.1,2 Even the U.S. military has had to eventually recognize that abuse of authority by a few senior officers is… Read More »
[May 10, 2020] In the late 1960s, my friend Wilson and I watched an adventure television episode of The Rat Patrol. This television series loosely based on the actual World War II exploits of the allied Australian, New Zealander, and British defenders of Tobruk, Libya. The Siege of Tobruk by German forces in 1941, commanded by Field Marshall… Read More »
[May 9, 2020] Yesterday, I published Part 1 of this series on how senior leaders gain respect. It bears repeating, “It is not possible to force people to respect you.” Everyone seems to recognize that respect helps smooth the way toward getting the mission accomplished. Thus, the desire for respect will come as no surprise. “How do leaders… Read More »
[April 29, 2020] Senior leaders are experienced in resolving vague, uncertain, complex problems. Solving such issues will inevitably get supported or disagreement on its effectiveness, reliability, and appropriateness. When problems are highly complex, and there is time available, one way to overcome resistance is by socializing the new idea. One of the most significant decisions in the Iraq… Read More »