Brian Thorson

“And so the final and greatest reality, that national strength lies only in the hearts and spirits of men. The Army, Navy, and Air Force are not the guardians of the national security. The tremendous problem of the future is beyond their capacity to solve. The search begins at the cradle where the mother makes the decision, either to tie her child to her apron strings or to rear him as a man. It continues through the years of schooling when children are taught either to place personal interests uppermost or to think in terms of their responsibility toward their society, their country, and all of mankind. It carries into the halls of government where our lawmakers may vote either to awaken our youth to a new understanding of duty or to continue the indulgent course which is more likely to find favor with the majority of their constituents.”
― S.L. A. Marshall, Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command

“I would suggest that the fundamental “information problem” faced by managers is not too little information but too much information. What we most need are ways to know what is important and what is not important, what variables to focus on and which to pay less attention to—and we need ways to do this that can help groups or teams develop shared understanding.”
― Peter M. Senge, The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization

“It is never a waste of time for the commander to talk to his people about their problems; more times than not, the problem will seem small to him, but so long as it looms large to the man, it cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand. He will grow in the esteem of his men as he treats their affairs with respect.”
― S.L. A. Marshall, Men Against Fire: The Problem of Battle Command

“If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon’s, but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition, and ignorance on the other.” —Ulysses S. Grant”
― Anonymous, A Warning