September Musings
“Some men change their party for the sake of principles; others their principles for the sake of the party.” Winston Churchill
“Statistics, metrics, and analysis will never replace sound judgment. When the wheels come off, some leaders complain about poor memory instead of the absence of judgment.” Dr. Bill Horton
“Not only do leaders need to develop ’self-awareness’, but they must also be ‘self-commanding.’” Benson
“An impala is known for its leaping ability, but it will not jump over a 4 foot fence if it cannot see where its feet will land on the other side. This reminds me of the risk-averse leader who fears change, because the outcome of the change on his popularity and leadership future is unknown. The question of ‘what if’ can paralyze a weak and risk-averse leader.” Benson
“Hard pounding this, gentlemen; let’s see who will pound the longest.” Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo
“Status quo is a life without significance.” Skip Heitzig, author and pastor
“Those are to be praised who are angry at the proper things and the proper people, who are angry as they ought, when they ought, and as long as they ought.” Aristotle
“All men think meanly of themselves for not having been a soldier.” Samuel Johnson (Comment: I don’t think that all men need to feel meanly of themselves about themselves for not serving; many variables effect whether one serves or does not serve.)
“The Lord has always been known to call forth his subjects into unknown waters.” Pastor and author Dr. Mark Rutland
“Plea-bargaining has replaced justice in the United States.” Dr. Rutland
The weapon of choice. In Vietnam, most company commanders and platoon commanders carried only the Table of Organization .45 Cal pistol. I did too, but I also carried the M-16 with 14 magazines (as I required the Marine riflemen to carry). I thought it made perfect sense to have another rifle in the platoon if only for ammunition redistribution and to share if someone else’s M-16 jammed, which was a common occurrence. I tried to fire mine in every firefight even if I couldn’t see the target, which was frequent. Benson
Colonel Joshua Chamberlain’s father’s retort to his children when asked the question - How do I do such and such? was, “do it, that’s how!” Comment: We need more of that!