[July 26, 2017] Many years ago during a combat deployment, a good friend of mine had the duty to tell a General Officer that he would not use the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a construction project because they were too slow, too expensive, and not good enough. The only problem was that U.S. law required their… Read More »
[July 14, 2017] On my way back from visiting my doctor, I was listening to a local FM station personality talking about how we Americans overrate the fear factor in our daily lives. For example he noted that tomorrow’s high temperature is predicted to be in the mid-90s and considered “highly dangerous.” He asked rhetorically whether the citizens… Read More »
[July 10, 2017] If there is one thing being a U.S. military officer taught me, it was that I could do absolutely nothing without the assistance of others. My job – if I was willing to accept it – was to provide a vision and convince others to follow me. That is what leadership is about and it… Read More »
[July 8, 2017] The greatest leaders of all time have spoken messages of hope and courage to their people; messages that are also clear, essential, and on message. The annual world leader G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany is being met with Welcome to Hell marches that threaten the economic fabric of participating industrial nations. But the anti-G20 leaders… Read More »
[July 3, 2017] As we look back across time it is difficult to ascertain the qualities of most of humankind’s best leadership except for those who have made deep contributions. Davy Crockett is one of those who tackles our imaginations and pricks our interest in many ways. He is a true American folk hero and fits that mold… Read More »
[July 2, 2017] Many young boys have had the opportunity to belong to the Boy Scouts and learn about good character development, citizenship, and personal fitness. My son Sean and I spent many days camping and enjoying activities that a small town environment encourages through the local Boy Scout program. The scouting experience embodies those essential values key… Read More »
[June 28, 2017] I was fortunate to attend one of the U.S. military’s General Officer courses a number of years ago and to develop a number of friendships that endure to this day. Called CAPSTONE, the four week course covers a number of major issues affecting national security.1 One lesson the course repeatedly reinforced was that leadership means… Read More »
[June 27, 2017] This is my third in a series of posts dealing with new ideas; especially political leadership ideas that are both difficult to hold and to realize. Today, I’m presenting the thinking of Maajid Nawaz, British political activist, author, and statesman. He is also a former member of the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir and was imprisoned… Read More »
[June 26, 2017] Just a few days ago at a meeting in Washington D.C., there was another of many expert-only conferences attempting to grasp the ever evolving concept of terrorism and what to do about it. What was learned was that in the past year the world did see the beginnings of a small anti-terrorism movement being led… Read More »
[June 22, 2017] Effective leaders make a habit out of those things that work; that sustain them in times when things are tough. Leaders, therefore, must use their skills at persuasion to enforce standards of excellence. The only way to do this is to be approachable where people are not afraid to come to you and voice their… Read More »