The Military LeaderQuotes Archives - The Military Leader

Putting Leadership Back in Leader Development

The Military Leader — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 17:23:54 +0000

Take a look at your unit calendar. Scan the clutter of appointments, meetings, formations, training events, ceremonies, and administrative commitments. Do you see any events dedicated to improving the quality of your people’s leadership? If not…if leadership development isn’t a separate line of effort…then how are you developing leaders? Where Did Leadership Go? In Have […]

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More Important than Rank

The Military Leader — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 11:38:04 +0000

This weekend I was happy to discover that I had received my copy of What to Do When it’s Your Turn (and it’s Always Your Turn). Seth Godin has an understated, grassroots following in the marketing and social media world because he can convey keen insight in concise doses. What’s impressive, too, is Seth’s understanding of the […]

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Quotes for the Military Leader

The Military Leader — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 10:13:12 +0000

I observed early on in my career that quotes have an cornerstone place in our military’s professional development. (Perhaps it was the hours of reciting them in the hallways of a Colorado Springs campus that gave me this notion.) The best quotes deliver rich insight with the fewest words. They elevate mediocre discourse and inspire fresh perspective on […]

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14th Century Advice for Today’s Leaders [Quote]

The Military Leader — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 09:43:27 +0000

Advice on Conduct Toward Friends and Enemies

23 There is a supreme rule of conduct required in these good men-at-arms…they should be humble among their friends, proud and bold against their foes, tender and merciful toward those who need assistance, cruel avengers against their enemies, pleasant and amiable with all others, for the men of worth tell you that you should not converse at any length nor hold speech with your enemies, for you should bear in mind that they do no speak to you for your own good but to draw out of you what they can use to do you the greatest harm.

Speak of the achievements of others but not of your own, and do not be envious of others. Above all, avoid quarrels, for a quarrel with one’s equal is dangerous, a quarrel with someone higher in rank is madness, and a quarrel with someone lower in rank is a vile thing, but a quarrel with a folk or a drunk is an even viler thing.

And make sure that you do not praise your own conduct nor criticize too much that of others. Do not desire to take away another’s honor, but, above all else, safeguard your own. Be sure that you do not despise poor men or those lesser in rank than you, for there are many poor men who are of greater worth than the rich.

Geoffroi de Charny (1356)
A Knight’s Own Book of Chivalry (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005), 70-71

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Everyday Insight from Bradley and Edison [Quote]

The Military Leader — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 12:20:25 +0000

“We need to learn to set our course by the stars, not by the lights of every passing ship.”
~ Omar Bradley

“Opportunity is missed by most because is it dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
~ Thomas Edison

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Peter F. Drucker on Investing in People [Quote]

The Military Leader — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 15:09:04 +0000

To spend a few minutes with people is simply not productive. If one wants to get anything across, one has to spend a fairly large minimum quantum of time.

The manager who things that he can discuss the plans, direction, and performance of one of his subordinates in fifteen minutes – and many managers believe this – is just deceiving himself. If one wants to get to the point of having an impact, one needs probably at least an hour and usually more.

And if one has to establish a human relationship, one needs infinitely more time.

Peter F. Drucker
The Effective Executive (New York: Harper, 2006), 29

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Epictetus on the Moral Influence of Others [Quote]

The Military Leader — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 11:37:23 +0000

Be selective about whom you take on as friends, colleagues, and neighbors. The world is full of agreeable and talented folk. The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.

But remember that our moral influence is a two-way street, and we should thus make sure by our own thoughts, words, and deeds to be a positive influence on those we deal with. The real test of personal excellence lies in the attention we give to the often neglected small details of our conduct. Make it your business to draw out the best in others by being an exemplar yourself.

Epictetus
The Art of Living (San Francisco: Harper Collins, 1994), 54

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