Generalship: Instinct versus Hard Study & Work

“Do make it clear that generalship, at least in my case, came not by instinct, unsought, but by understanding, hard study and brain concentration. Had it come easy to me I should not have done it as well.” T.E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) as quoted in Lawrence of Arabia by B.H.L. Hart. Reference Hale,… Read More

Command & Control (C2) and Team Leadership Values

Abstract The application of values in defining team leadership is helping to determine the required interpersonal abilities, skills and behaviours of future leaders. These reasons have led researchers to study the group dynamics of work teams and to further investigate the building blocks that would help to sustain effective work teams. This paper examines the concept of team leadership values, and… Read More

Preparation is Part 1 of Fighting a Battle

“He who is prepared has his battle half fought…” Miguel de Cervantes (in Don Quixote, 1615) The full quote states “He who is prepared has his battle half fought; nothing is lost by my preparing myself, for I know by experience that I have enemies, visible and invisible, and I know not when, or where, or… Read More

Questions & Answers: Easy versus Good!

“Good questions outrank easy answers.” Paul Anthony Samuelson (1915 to 2009) an American economist and the first American to win a Nobel Prize in economic sciences (The Nobel Foundation, 1970). Putting context to this quote, one could state that “Understanding the real situation in any circumstance needs information and insight. These are usually obtained by asking the right… Read More

Encountering the Enemy: Defeat versus Surprise

“To be defeated is pardonable; to be surprised – never!” Napoleon Bonaparte (Maxims of War, 1831) (Kiley, 2005) Reference Kiley, K. (2005) Thumbing through the Napoleonic Wars: The Words of Napoleon and Others Who May Have Influenced His Methods. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/napoleon/c_quotes.html. [Accessed: 07 August, 2016].

The Endless Pendulum Swing of Fat is Good, Fat is Bad Continues

“Is a diet rich in saturated fat  a health risk or not?” (Johnson, 2016, p.18). A dog whistle question to get researchers/scientists, food commentators and self-styled experts hot under the collar. New evidence would suggest it is a health risk (Wang et al., 2016). Actually, the new evidence is a new statistical analysis of historical… Read More

Time to Change your Plan?

“It is a bad plan that cannot be altered.” Publilius Syrus(85 BC to 43 BC) was a Latin writer, best known for his Sententiae. He was a Syrian who was brought to Italy as a slave, but by his wit and talent he won the favour of his master, who freed and educated him. Alternatives include:… Read More