[August 4, 2018] A recent indecent in my family motivated me to write about how to get along smoothly in any organization. All of us have belonged to a variety of organizations in our lifetimes (e.g., work, school, family, military, church) and perhaps we’ve had difficulty along the way. All you have to do is follow the rules… Read More »
[August 3, 2018] A fundamental duty of leaders is to find opportunities to provide useful information to others and deliver positive feedback. It is the embodiment of great leadership to teach, coach, and mentor in such a way that the feedback is received as a stimulus to internal motivation. It is no surprise that someone who is able… Read More »
[July 31, 2018] “Mission first, people always,” is more than just a saying in the U.S. military; it’s a philosophy. The fact that leadership is difficult even in the best of times means that we expect the mission to be accomplished and done efficiently and effectively by people. In this idea, mission first, people always … one of… Read More »
[July 30, 2018] At a commissioning ceremony, where a dozen army Second Lieutenants took the oath of office, the commandant of the ROTC program said something that stuck with me my entire life. “For those of you who swear to become an officer, leadership is a life choice.”1 What he meant at the time and all those around… Read More »
[July 28, 2018] Do you want to be a leader? If you answer this question like you should, the answer will be “yes” because no other answer is acceptable. To be a leader you must learn a number of important skills. One of them is to never punish loyal followers for being honest. “Leaders who don’t listen will… Read More »
[July 27, 2018] It has been a long-running theme here on my leadership blog that a leader’s character can only be developed through hard times. But I’m going out on a limb today and now arguing that good character can only be developed through suffering. That’s right, only by suffering can the best in us truly come out.… Read More »
[July 26, 2018] … and 90 percent perspiration. This famous quote is by Thomas Edison, a man often described as America’s “greatest inventor.”1 Great leaders inspire! They also understand that providing inspiration is only part of the formula and that working to see that inspiration achieves real results is where the hard work really happens. “Our chief want… Read More »
[July 20, 2018] If there is one lesson I personally learned the hard way as a leader, it’s that words matter. There are words that inspire and can make a leader look both gracious and intelligent. Words matter, even a few.1 It was over a decade ago in 2007 when I was standing inside Camp War Eagle; a… Read More »
[July 18, 2018] If you are a leader in any capacity whatsoever, you represent to outsiders, others in your employment, family, religion, nationality, or in any other grouping imaginable. When outsiders see you and listen to what you have to say, you are an ambassador to the groups to which you are affiliated. While it may not be… Read More »
[July 16, 2018] We often hear that there is no such thing as a dumb question. Sadly, that is not true. There are plenty of dumb and, frankly, embarrassing questions that make us look foolish and uninformed. What a good leader knows is that there are many advantages to asking good questions. “The art and science of asking… Read More »