[February 28, 2017] An old axiom in the U.S. military is that to be the best leader possible, one must chose the right people and give them the authority and freedom to do their jobs. Choosing good people is not an easy task but is necessary to ensure the smooth functioning of any organization. “Leadership consists of picking… Read More »
[February 20, 2017] One of the best things about the U.S. military is the enormous amount of resources used to produce the best leaders possible. I was fortunate to participate in a number of programs designed to improve the leadership capacities and skills of their senior officers. What I took away from it was that leadership really is… Read More »
[February 15, 2017] I’ve known about Hal Moore since I was a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and looked upon him as a great American hero. His legacy originated with his heroic actions at the Battle of Ia Drang, Vietnam 1965 as an Infantry Battalion Commander but there was, of course, much more to it than that. … Read More »
[February 6, 2017] … to be a great leader. One of the ways many leaders excel in their profession is by simply outworking others. Longer days, more intense effort, and generally more time and dedication to their line of work are how they got ahead of their competition. But it takes more than hard work for a person… Read More »
[February 4, 2017] During my time in the U.S. Army and since retirement, I’ve had the pleasure to talk with hundreds of students at universities across the United States; those who want to become members of the military. While they are some of the “best of the best,” there is always a piece of advice I give them;… Read More »
[February 3, 2017] Being recently retired from the Army has offered me a number of advantages; most useful among them is the strength of mind – developed over four decades – to navigate most bureaucracies without great aggravation. Bureaucracies serve a useful function in their intended role to efficiently administer rules, regulations, and policies … and they have… Read More »
[February 2, 2017] With the news of the recent firing of acting Attorney General Sally Yates at the U.S. Justice Department, I found it unusual that a career attorney would be so brazen to defy a legal order of President of the United States. Yates would have been far more effective if she had worked inside the DOJ… Read More »
[January 26, 2017] There are a number of military slang phrases and descriptions that are useful in everyday conversation. For example, when we refer to putting everything we’ve got into something, we might say we gave “the whole nine yards.”1 One recent military phrase that plays on humor describes an office-bound staff officer who creates overly complex briefings… Read More »
[January 21, 2017] Those of us who’ve played on a sports team have been on the losing end of a game. And every athletic coach has had that “talk” with team members on how to behave when they lose. Their message is always clear; don’t be a sore loser. Sore losers show their immaturity and their weaknesses become… Read More »
[January 20, 2017] The first book I ever read that dealt seriously with the topic of leadership and discipline was General George S. Patton’s book (1982 edition), War As I Knew It.1 For the U.S. military, the early 1980s was a time of change; moving from the legacy tactics of Vietnam to a modern, brigade-centric combat force. “There… Read More »