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DeM Banter: As mentioned in the ABSTRACT POST, Chapter 1, 2, and now in Chapter 3: in 2007-08 I was fortunate enough to be selected a a National Security Affairs Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. An outstanding year spent with some of the foremost personalities in National Security on both the Right and the …
Continue reading "Wondering Where the Lions Are: American Grand Strategy"
We all have rituals to live and work more productively. These rituals act as a way to build a resiliency to what we may face during the day. They can also help us stay focused and keeping us on track throughout the day. Our daily rituals consist of habits, routine and schedule. We all have …
“Why are we okay that management hasn’t seen innovation in a 100…years, but we demand innovation in every other aspect of our lives?” Jamie Notter Stalled! As we glance around the globe, things sure look rough. There seems to be an interesting rise in international tension--who's at fault? The list is long and tilts left …
Continue reading "Want to change the world? Look For The Innovators "
Institutionalizing leadership development has been a topic that has taken up a great deal of RAM this past week. There is no doubt that leadership development is at the heart of a leader’s responsibility, but can we honestly institutionalize it? Is it a paradox or a paradoxical situation? The Power of the Paradox In George …
“The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.” So begins The Art of War, a meditation on the rules of war that …
It dawned on me this afternoon as I was working out--as sad as it is to ponder--terrorist attacks seem to be the new normal. Please realize, I am not saying we should accept this new normal by any stretch, but after waking up to the tragedy in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital, it really has me …
Continue reading "Daesh and The Fear of the Walking Dead: DeMarco Banter"
DeM Banter: Interesting piece, short...and actually falls a bit short of where I thought the former CJCS was going...but the line: "When you get to these wars, I worry that America has paid us very well, the compensation's good, [so the culture says] 'please go off and fight our dirty little wars and let us get …
DeM Banter: how many times have we heard..."do more with less?" Or... we need to be more "agile" or more "efficient and effective?" As a car guy... I get it... you can always squeeze a little more horsepower from your motor--but there does come a point where your gains are extremely small versus the cost. …
Continue reading "What would a smaller military look like and how would it fight? By Tom Vandebrook"
DeM Banter: If all of the sudden we are high-fiving ourselves for this great measure and budget cutting--isn't it interesting that no one is talking about the 900lb gorilla in the room or the very large pink elephant in the corner? None of these distinguished gentlemen are affected by the budget cuts and if we …
DeM Banter: I know... we keep harping on this...but it is REALLY ALL ABOUT LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY. Here's the big problem...the enemy has a very well thought out strategy that is fluid and adaptable...and we have none. The plan that Gen Dubik mentions below is something we have talked about for a long time.. AND...when …
Continue reading "Fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq is in U.S. interests By James M. Dubik"
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