[November 09, 2013] Judgment is the essence of leadership. The ability of first-class leaders to make good judgments and the cumulative impact of those judgments will determine the quality, effectiveness, and success of the leaders’ organizations. The exercise of good judgment in the workplace is the special quality sought in leaders of all kinds. In particular, this is… Read More »
[November 08, 2013] Senior executive leaders develop big ideas. Big ideas are a framework, a way of making sense of something about the world we live in that solves a problem or makes something better. They help us “see,” to organize desperate facts and details into a picture that gives us insight. Charles Darwin wrote that his theory… Read More »
[November 04, 2013] The best way to deal with a crisis is to simply be prepared. Planning, resourcing, rehearsing, organizing, and placing the right people on the job is key. The upside? Lives and property are saved and organizations survive. The downside? It detracts from other priorities and is expensive. It is difficult to replicate crises experiences but… Read More »
[November 01, 2013] We all want our leaders to be problem solvers and overcome all obstacles. Fundamentally, relevant experience is what makes this possible. While experience is necessary for all leaders, our most senior leaders need a broader array of experiences. Senior executive leaders should have the experience of sufficient moral preparation to stay right, to act quickly… Read More »
[October 30, 2013] Over the last two days, I visited a soon-to-deploy military combat unit (with their families) and visited a Veterans’ Administration hospital. The contrast between the two in the “passion” of the personnel at each event was noteworthy. Both the personnel conducting the troop and family event, as well as those attending, were unparalleled in their… Read More »
[October 29, 2013] Most people can be leaders but only a very few can be great leaders because most do not possess the mental toughness required – intense mental toughness is a rare commodity that only a few have the will to attain. Mental toughness is not to be confused with the false sense of bravado or with… Read More »
[October 27, 2013] Good leaders are not defined by any one temperament. Leaders come with a variety of temperaments that may change depending upon the circumstances that are needed to produce a particular set of results. There are times when situations demand that the leader have a cool and stable temperament. The most obvious is that of a… Read More »
[October 26, 2013] If you want to be a good leader, but especially if you want to be a great leader, plan on doing things outside your personal comfort zone. Senior leaders must be always on the lookout for ways to improve their capability and capacity to get things done. “If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.” – Unknown … Read More »
[October 25, 2013] As children we used to tease each other occasionally by telling our friends we had a real “good deal” for them. We would sell them a bridge … called the Brooklyn Bridge … at a great price. This teasing game likely came about in the 1800s when the bridge was associated with some political corruption. … Read More »
[Updated December 28, 2013] Great leaders have extraordinary persistence. Yes, possession of large doses of persistence is a prerequisite for great senior executive leaders. The dictionary defines persistence as, “Firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.” In other words, do not expect persistence to be easy. In fact, it’s hard. For… Read More »