[February 3, 2019] Someone once said that the mythic journey of life is always about selflessness. And so, in today’s leadership blog, I recognize the sacrifice of four U.S. Army Chaplains. Their bravery and selflessness in the face of mortal danger show us the pinnacle of what it means to be a man of profound decency. On this… Read More »
[January 29, 2019] In 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke before a large crowd in Selma, Alabama where he said: “no lie can live forever.”1 The speech marked a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement that was to force American politicians to accept that all citizens had the right to vote finally. At the heart of MLK’s… Read More »
[January 28, 2019] It was a great personal shock to me when my family moved from a small, sleepy Louisiana town to a large, vibrant Texas city. It was in that first year of High School that I first came across students and teachers who were likable (but not popular) and those who were popular (but not very… Read More »
[January 25, 2019] Leadership comes in many forms. Yet, of the more undervalued leaders, those who provide moral and intellectual arguments for or against a particular idea hold a special role. Their advocacy can be compelling as it was for Professor Wilhelm Röpke (sometimes spelled Roepke). Wilhelm Röpke (1899 – 1966) devoted his life to combating collectivism in… Read More »
[January 24, 2019] As a very young boy I marveled at the Sparrows that nested in a giant oak tree located in our backyard. At only two weeks old these fledglings would have their first try at flight. Upon leaving my first company command, as a U.S. Army Captain, I remembered that time as a young boy, the… Read More »
[January 19, 2019] My dad used to tell me this all the time; it seemed like anyway. I would get mentally worked up over my school, part-time job, friends, the stupid family dog, etc. While growing up, he would simply say, don’t get wrapped around the axle.1 I immediately knew what he meant. When I was a sophomore… Read More »
[January 17, 2019] Last week, Hawaii Democrat Representative Tulsi Gabbard, penned an op-ed in which she warned: “Elected leaders who weaponize religion are playing a dangerous game.”1 She is showing moral courage because her statements run counter to the anti-religious ideology of the American Democrat Party. “While I absolutely believe in the separation of church and state as… Read More »
[January 16, 2019] The silent movie A Dog’s Life (1918) starring Charlie Chaplin is a short 33-minute comedy about a tramp and his dog. Written, directed, and filmed during World War I, the need by the American public to witness a display of compassion was a necessary distraction from the horrors of the war. American forces under U.S.… Read More »
[January 6, 2019] There are many reasons leaders should express their opinion; especially when their expertise and knowledge is significant or where it would do the most good. Our leadership training and a vast array of research suggests that an inherent duty of great leaders is to provide a thoughtful opinion. However, counterintuitive advice advocates that as a… Read More »
[January 5, 2019] “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” is a well-known phrase from the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It goes on to say that these are “unalienable rights” which have been given to all humans by their creator. The best leaders are those who push us toward such common goals (as noted in this phrase) and… Read More »