[May 6, 2019] Two things came together yesterday that got me to thinking about a post-modern rallying-cry of many young people today. Collective responsibility – individual responsibility for the actions of others – is not new but its application to a range of modern problems is now more noticeable. Earlier in the day, I was listening to a… Read More »
[May 2, 2019] There’s an adage that says you can’t please everybody, but I regularly experience leaders who attempt to do so anyway. I see this all the time. Many psychologists have suggested that this trait might be innate to explain the power it can hold over us. “When you stand alone and sell yourself, you can’t please… Read More »
[May 1, 2019] I’ve always enjoyed working with people who grew up and worked on a farm or ranch where they learned the value of hard work. They learned all about nature and spent long periods outside in the harsh elements, are self-educated and worked with their hands. This is the leader and the cowboy. Contrast these men… Read More »
[April 29, 2019] My pre-teen years involved working at several small jobs that taught me many things. Among those was the ability to work with others, pick who could be trusted, and learn about the limits of your friends. One summer, a friend of mine and I were going to make lots of money selling lemonade. Ben Carson,… Read More »
[April 27, 2019] What matters most in a leader’s development is not how much information we can cram into his (or her) brain, but whether we can help them develop their character. It should, therefore, come as no surprise, that the main theme of this leadership blog is to help develop that character. Conscientiousness, however, is the greatest… Read More »
[April 26, 2019] What we do as humans, echoes throughout time. While I was a new Lieutenant in the U.S. Army at Fort Benning, Georgia, we learned about the Mi Lai Massacre in Vietnam. The massacre was a stain on our military reputation and the reason why we studied it so closely. Leadership means keeping alive our historical… Read More »
[April 24, 2019] In my Sophomore year in college, I took a Psychology course that required students to read a book titled, I’m Okay, You’re Okay.1 It helped me accept myself. But, I should have rejected the author’s advice and recognized that I was not what I could be. If only I prioritized better, worked harder, and got… Read More »
[April 23, 2019] My wife Nancy was watching a news program a couple of days ago. Being interviewed was a new Congresswoman from New York City; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She was promoting policies that raised the income tax of the “rich” by as much as 90%. In the background, you could hear loud, excited cheering from the audience. My… Read More »
[April 21, 2019] As a senior military Flag Officer, I’ve used investigations as a tool to ferret the truth when other avenues were closed. However, in my experience, investigations are also used unethically to punish leaders or to harass them.1 When this leader tool is used as a weapon, everyone loses. “About all I can say for the… Read More »
[April 18, 2019] While leaders are good at pushing the limits of their ability, they are also fully aware of their own boundaries. History is full of stories where people and nations have gone beyond the point where success is no longer possible. That is why it is a rare quality to truly know your limits. The Korean… Read More »