[November 06, 2013] In many organizations there is a bit of a split persona – in particular, as it applies to those who are selected to advance to the more senior leadership positions. There are those people who are the exceptional and successful operators, who in the US Army we call the “warfighter.” These are those folks who… Read More »
[November 03, 2013] We’ve all seen it; supervisors who give excuses for employees who are failures in their jobs. Like the alcoholic whose family enables the alcoholic’s drinking behavior, leaders can also enable failure. Whatever the reason or excuse, there is a emerging trend in U.S. organizations where leaders fail to take quick, effective action to deal with… Read More »
[November 02, 2013] In early September, I wrote about how it is an important characteristics of senior leaders to develop trust and confidence in our employees, our boss, our peers, and customers. It is always a good thing to find an example of success so that we can learn from what made it possible. Another method of wisdom… 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 28, 2013] A frequent question asked is: “What is the most challenging part of a senior leader’s job?” Most believe that dealing with the impact of America’s unstable economic situation, overwhelming organizational bureaucracy, or working with insufferable government agencies unfamiliar with the leader’s organization would the challenge. While these are a bit demanding, they are not the… 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 »
[October 23, 2013] Many years ago in my college days, I saw the movie “Being There” staring Woody Allen and Shirley Maclaine. The movie is about a low intelligent gardener whose only knowledge of the world is from watching television. It is a sort of pre Forrest Gump type movie with the main character who lucks into fame… Read More »
[October 18, 2013] The photograph is of the crew of the Boeing B-17 “The Memphis Belle.” During WWII, lead by Captain Robert Morgan, the crew flew 29 missions altogether, 25 in this aircraft. I was fortunate to meet retired Colonel Robert Morgan nearly two decades ago and to hear of the exploits of his crew and the combat… Read More »