Galvatron

Phenomenal account of Lee's history

Revisado: 09-30-21

BG(R) Seidule provided a compelling narrative of the Civil War and its aftermath. Taking the reader through his personal history and military career, Robert E Lee and Me gives hope that a philosophy of life long learning, coupled with moral courage, will give our nation the strength to continue evolving toward a truly more perfect union. My best read of 2021.

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An Incredible Listen

Revisado: 02-28-21

President Obama narrating the story of his political career from early beginnings to the killing of OBL and all parts in between was a great listen. Complements Becoming well. Enjoyed hearing about the challenge of wielding disparate interests together on his signature policy objectives along with a tacit admission of underestimating the emotions that shape behavior on both sides of the political spectrum. Long read but worth it.

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Power Is a Swiss Army Knife, Not A Hammer

Revisado: 11-27-20

With the 2020 Elections as a backdrop, I pulled this down from my Audible Plus collection and was not disappointed. Having worn an uniform for most of ny adult life, I share Cohen's premise that soft power has its limits and that, while distasteful, today's geopolitical environment still needs hard power as a countermeasure to aggressive nation-states and transnational violent extremists. Discussing the near term threat of Russia, far term rise of China, and regional belligerents such as North Korea and Iran, Cohen articulates the threats that our national interests face and makes a strong case for the use of force in service to those interests. In the event of prolonged conflict in the 21st century, Cohen's strategy of modern warfare across surface, air, and cyber domains could work; however it would require a shift in mindset from both the American electorate and its leadership to taking a more flexible and patient view of war. Reading Cohen's work provides a somewhat murky, but useful, crystal ball for better understanding of 21st century warfare.

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Compelling Read

Revisado: 10-11-20

Against the backdrop of the 2020 elections, I found this compelling. Via a series of interviews with both President Trump and key members of government, Bob Woodward lays out many of the roller coasters highs and lows that made up the last four years of the Trump Administration. As a student of leader development, this was a poignant reminder that personality, independent of your political affiliation, matters in how you lead. I recall writing a paper a few years back stating we needed to go from egocentric leadership where it is about the strength of the individual leader to allocentric leadership where it is about the strength of the teams we assemble. While history will determine where our current leadership ranks in terms of affect and impact, this was a reminder to me that people matter and how one conveys empathy and builds teams often makes a difference.

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The Multiplier Effect on Leadership

Revisado: 10-01-20

This was a great add to my leader development curriculum. For the premise of her research, Wiseman identified two types of leaders: Multipliers who amplify the ability of people around them and Diminishers who drain said ability. The author posits that Multipliers get more than 100% from their followers because they use their intellect and talent to help their employees shine, rather than to feed their own egos. To answer the question of how some leaders become multipliers and others become diminishers, Wiseman and her research partner Greg McKeown studied over 150 leaders (e.g., managers, teachers, and sports coaches) over four continents. From their research, it was determined that the difference for multipliers wasn't in action, but rather in attitude -- primarily in the value of people and relationships. Written with several useful vignettes and recommendations for modifying daily behaviors, Multipliers is a useful addition to your leadership library if you desire to obtain the best performance from your team.

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A Better Understanding of North Korea

Revisado: 09-30-20

I picked this up in preparation for my next assignment. On my first tour to South Korea in 2002, I was so excited to learn about the culture of our allies that I missed an opportunity to learn about their neighbors and adversaries in North Korea. For those desiring to understand isolated cult like organizations better, this is an insightful read -- focusing on seven defectors who escaped the regime to South Korea. The author also provides insight into the great famine that killed millions of North Koreans in the 1990s. It hurt to read about people dying from starvation when, like the Rwandan Holocaust, this did not penetrate the American news cycle. Deming provided the sobering reality of cities with no electricity or industry, where workers no longer get paid, men are conscripted into military service for ten years, women sell goods or their bodies for survival, grass is considered food, and death by starvation was all too common. Despite our ambivalence about the electoral process, this read is a reminder that while imperfect, America still provides a better life for its citizens than other places on the globe.

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A Primer for Resilience

Revisado: 09-25-20

I read a hard copy of Man’s Search for Meaning a few years ago and recently received a free copy as part of my new Audible Plus subscription. A short and worthy reorientation to great concepts of resiliency from a survivor of the concentration camps. Originally told in two parts: the first half discussed Frankl’s experiences surviving the concentration camps, and the second half focused on lessons learned from Frankl's sense of resiliency that are universally applicable. In an environment where some still question the brutality of Nazi Germany, there are few assessments as explicit and honest of concentration camp life as this. The audio version includes an updated chapter from the author on logotherapy,  his premise that the primary motivational force of an individual is to find a meaning in life. A great synopsis of overcoming darkness to discover purpose.

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The Glass Being Half Full (or Empty) is Perception

Revisado: 09-03-20

As we approach the 2020 US elections, the perception of our country being great (or in dire straits) often depends on where you sit on the political spectrum and our accompanying sources of information. In that vein, I picked up Factfulness because I was interested in the author's premise that the world is not has bad as perceived. By presenting a model that stratifies the world into four economic levels vs the developed/developing strata, the author then outlines 10 biases that inhibit our world view, particularly when presented with information that argues a gradual improvement in the standard of living for global citizens. Whether a Pollyanna or a Peemist, Rosling's work provides a counterperspective that is useful for all at this point in history.

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The Art and Science of Spycraft

Revisado: 08-22-20

In military services, the only specialists criticized more than logisticians are intelligence analysts as they are rarely praised when predictions go correctly but often criticized when unable to perfectly foresee the actions of often unpredictable actors. From this premise, I enjoyed this biography of Clapper's service to the nation. While I could find parallels to my path in frequent moves, geopolitical challenges and work life integration, I enjoyed his perspective on those challenges especially in the foresight that he and his parents showed regarding racial equity and combating the stigma of dont ask dont tell. Clapper expertly takes the reader through the last 20 years or so of modern intelligence and spycraft to include 9/11, the killing of Bin Laden, Manning and Snowden. His documentation of the 2016 elections and transition between administrations is useful reading in the current political climate as we approach the 2020 elections as well.

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Giving Effective Feedback is an Art

Revisado: 08-04-20

Audible's 2 for 1 sales always have promise. I picked up this gem as my freebie from the last one. Serving in a profession that relies so heavily on human performance, I am always looking for ways to improve how I can motivate teammates. Thanks for the Feedback is a great add to the toolkit. The authors, Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen, taught negotiation at Harvard Law School for two decades. Having worked with negotiation teachers from HBS during my West Point stint, I suspected this would be informative. The authors hypothesize that other consultants in the human performance field over-emphasize the art of giving feedback, neglecting how to receive it. This books works to address the imbalance - which is extremely important as ill-timed or received feedback normally inspires resistance or compliance versus committment. Despite the high risk that feedback involves, the authors argue it can be delivered successfully, splitting their prose into three tiers: appreciation, coaching and evaluation. Accordingly, they also map the pathology of three triggers (truth, relationship, and identity) liable to cause friction. Laid out in a series of small snippets akin to a podcast, Thanks For the Feedback provides useful perspective for leaders of all persuasions.

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