[September 2, 2018] A quick reminder that this clearing the spindle article, like the few I posted in the past, is about things I couldn’t get to in detail during the week. Today, I focus on the growing political incorrectness that is emerging in Western culture. U.S. Senator John McCain dies and deserves our respect. Mark Twain once… Read More »
[August 27, 2018] If there is one fear a good leader has it’s that deceit must be recognized for what it is and confronted. Unsurprisingly, there are leaders who would use deceit to further their own selfish ends. For example, in 1956 China the travesty of deceit was used in their Hundred Flowers Campaign to root out intellectuals… Read More »
[August 26, 2018] This was a piece of good advice I received the day I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. “Don’t burn your bridges” was probably created to mentally illustrate what happens when you end a relationship that you never plan to go back to. “People burn their bridges until they realize they’re stranded.… Read More »
[August 25, 2018] Many years ago I was accused of ‘babysitting’ my troops because my priority as a Flag officer was taking care of soldiers. There is merit to the argument that modern leader trends now emphasize better treatment of employees and staff. But does that mean we are babysitting them? The Commanding General at my Division headquarters… Read More »
[August 21, 2018] We all did it as kids. We broke something in our grandparent’s house and lied about it. For most of us, we were caught and punished. Covering up a bad behavior is always based on a lie and for this reason, it is often much worse than the original wrong-doing. “The fact of the Watergate… Read More »
[August 16, 2018] Entitlement is the enemy of success. We’ve all witnessed the destruction of motivation, unreasonable demands, and failure in entitled leaders. It amazes me that entitlement in leaders still exists. But the reason it does survive, of course, is that we encourage it. I don’t buy into the idea that young folks today are more likely… Read More »
By guest blogger Tom Jager [August 13, 2018] A true leader is an inspiration for others to continue dreaming, learning and improving themselves. The fundamental duty of a leader is to motivate others to work as a team towards the common goal. Leaders are also mentors, inspiring others to become more productive and committed. But no one mentions… Read More »
[July 24, 2018] Army Vet has a lot to say about the U.S. Army and how its leadership lacks the courage to train and keep real warriors. U.S. Army senior leaders and their political civilian leadership no longer have the guts to develop warriors within its ranks. During World War II and the Korean War, being a real… Read More »
[July 19, 2018] It is rare for the average person to have a mentor. It is even rarer to have a mentor who is smart enough to provide us with quality advice and guidance. I was privileged on both counts and am lucky enough to recall some of his best words to live by. It was my understanding… Read More »
[July 16, 2018] We often hear that there is no such thing as a dumb question. Sadly, that is not true. There are plenty of dumb and, frankly, embarrassing questions that make us look foolish and uninformed. What a good leader knows is that there are many advantages to asking good questions. “The art and science of asking… Read More »