In the end, soldiers are employees – yet so much more. The soldier business is a calling. It is perhaps the one profession in the world that calls on its members to conduct themselves with a sense of altruism every day. . . . Who knew cleaning the latrine could be so altruistic? Even non-profits,
leadership
Leadership Means Leaders Eat Last
Awhile back, I watched another episode of Undercover Boss. As they often do, the boss revealed himself at the end of the show, handed out thousands to deserving employees who are struggling, promoted one or two who clearly deserved it, hugged his workers and explained why his company was good and pledged himself to make…
Leadership is Toughest in Times of Stress
When I was a young Company Commander, we had this lieutenant who was even younger than I was. He had been to Airborne school. He had his jump wings and he thought he was special. He disparaged Battalion staff the few times he dealt with them. He talked big about what he would do as…
Cruise Ship Captain Lacked Leadership
I served in the US Army, National Guard and Army Reserve for 28 years. I served as an Infantry officer for most of that time. As young Infantry officers, we studied leadership and group dynamics over and over. Studying leadership has become a favorite past-time for me. One fundamental principle of Army leadership is that…