[March 18, 2019] A few days ago, I attended a presentation at a local Veterans get-together. An Army veteran gave a presentation on cemeteries in Europe and what they meant to him. I was surprised to hear that his father, killed during World War II, was buried in the Margraten Cemetery, Netherlands. The 8,301 American soldiers buried at… Read More »
[March 8, 2019] Leaders generally do not understand the Golden Rule we see expressed in nearly all religions, especially in Christianity and Judaism. It often read as treating others with kindness and compassion. However, that interpretation is both shallow and misleading. “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to… Read More »
[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 »