[September 25, 2015] George, a good friend of mine from our past army days, used to tell me often that, “I never drink good coffee because I might like it and then have to pay for it.” You see, in U.S. Army dining facilities and in our offices, coffee is most often found hot and free. Later, after… Read More »
[September 15, 2015] I am taking a little detour into a lighthearted discussion about the Art of Manliness. In doing so I want to accomplish two things; first, to draw attention to an internet blog dedicated to the lost art of manliness and second, to reinforce a theme of mine here at theLeaderMaker.com about manly sports. What cool… Read More »
[September 14, 2015] When Abraham Lincoln reached the elected office of the President of the United States in 1861, he had not arrived at that point because of the formal training he had received but due to a life of unique experiences that educated him in the principles of leadership. Today, despite the fact that we recognize the… Read More »
[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 »