[September 12, 2015] We often learn quickly that establishing a good social network is beneficial in many ways. Although difficult to measure the specific effectiveness of networks, senior leaders throughout time have taken great care to manage their network contacts. Such it was with General George Washington who became close friends with Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette during the… Read More »
[September 10, 2015] In the history of warfare there are many examples that show that a large, heavily armed military force was defeated by a small, under-resourced opponent. The difference has always been the level of morale in the force that won on the battlefield. This can be applied to all organizations and that is why leaders focus… Read More »
[September 8, 2015] There are many traits that separate a true leader from a wannabe leader; that someone who lacks the requirements, skills, and talent to be an effective leader. The true leader has the grit and the courage to do those necessary things even when they’re afraid of the consequences of a particular decision or action. Usually… Read More »
[September 7, 2015] One of my grandmother’s favorite pieces of advice to me – after I’d done something wrong – was that you have to make mistakes to be a great person. As a boy I couldn’t understand what she meant and one day I asked her about it. She told me that only those who try new… Read More »
[August 31, 2015] The greatest threat to a nation outside of armed invasion is the degeneration of its military from its professional standing into a bureaucracy. If we are to believe the outgoing U.S. Army Chief of Staff who told us that there is a struggle for the Army to maintain its professionalism, we will have to reverse… Read More »
[August 22, 2015] The sad fact is that many senior leaders do, in fact, promote divisiveness by their choice of words and inaction to promote basic standards of good behavior. Whether purposefully or by accident, some national leaders also encourage divisiveness and they are not good leaders in the sense that they portray the requisite traits of excellence. … Read More »
[August 19, 2015] U.S. Army senior leadership has always been hesitant to say who among the general population makes the best soldiers. While such a politically correct stance is not unexpected, there are many who have served and studied patterns that help us predict who will be the best soldiers. Although these attributes and experiences of those in… Read More »
[August 16, 2015] A special treat for my readers today! A new book on my recommended list is by a writer who is a 4-star U.S. Army general; no surprise but in this case it’s the Army’s first female general. This is a new book, only recently published and comes out at a time the women running for… Read More »
[July 29, 2015] A little over 43 years ago there was an break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. President Nixon along with his administration were responsible but attempted to cover-up their involvement in the illegal action. As a result, two years later Nixon resigned from his office as U.S.… Read More »
[July 22, 2015] Great leadership begins with a grand vision. Simply put, leadership is the ability to turn a vision into something. Having vision means identifying a clear goal for the future and ideally it’s also inspirational. The implication in the vision is that it’s realistic and that efforts to achieve it may mean doing things differently such… Read More »