[December 13, 2020] Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in actions. Sometimes, you learn this the hard way as an adult, better to learn it through play as a child. I’m reminded of the summer of 1963 when a group of us boys played King of the Hill on a gravel pile left on a… Read More »
[December 10, 2020] Not all fights on the battlefield are with guns. Yesterday, I spoke with a battle-buddy of mine from our first unit’s deployment in the Iraq War. You know the conversation … old war stories, what happened to us, and how it made for something to tell the grandkids. Scotty, at the time a U.S. Army… Read More »
[December 5, 2020] Over the past several decades, there has been a decline of veteran identity. This is reflected in falling membership across all organizations like the VFW, increased suicide rates, and unemployment. This is a problem that has national-level and societal implications, none of which are good. The Decline of Veteran identity. This unfortunate decline of identity… Read More »
[November 20, 2020] Several years ago, I wrote about core American values to set a baseline for my leadership blog (see links here, here, and here). Core values say a lot about who we are and where we are going. This is why I spend so much of my time today with our military veterans; they understand what… Read More »
[October 11, 2020] Freedom is a value. But “freedom” – in its many variations and circumstances – is also a path to human wisdom and excellence in life. It has been far too long since I’ve written on core values and the importance they have in our existence. Today, our subject is the organization known as the Foundation… Read More »
[September 17, 2020] Those who study statesmanship and the experienced leadership know how difficult it is to make progress on old and emotionally-laden political issues. Two days ago, the UAE, Bahrain, and Israel signed a peace deal with one another. Casual observers will not understand the significance of or difficulty in this achievement, and that is unfortunate. Those… Read More »
[September 14, 2020] My first tour of duty in the U.S. Army was in West Germany; the year was 1974 and before the wall came down. While in-processing on a military base in the city of Bad Wimpfen, I was given a 12-hour pass that I used to tour the old city. There I met an old man… Read More »
[August 17, 2020] Well, it’s been a few months since my last spindle post. Still, so many issues have developed regarding leadership (the lack of it, mostly) that several readers asked for my comments on several current issues facing our society. Regular readers will recognize my interests in showing how good leadership is often the solution to real… Read More »
[August 15, 2020] There is much to be said about the evils of racial discrimination. It helps very few and hurts many, it generates animosity, and it fosters hate. Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Justice notified Yale University of results from a two-year-long investigation. The DOJ findings were that Yale illegally discriminates against Asian American and… Read More »
[August 7, 2020] Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest President in the Nation’s history when he assumed those responsibilities upon the death of William McKinley. Roosevelt took the view that the Presidency was the “steward of the people.” And, we can find a similar leadership philosophy in the company called Trader Joe’s. “It is only through labor and painful… Read More »