[July 25, 2018] One of the advantages of long-term and successful experience as a senior leader is the acquired ability to identify and promote talented leaders. It becomes a “calling” to find, support, and advance those junior leaders who show high potential as future leaders. “Great things are accomplished by talented people who believe they will accomplish them.”… Read More »
[July 23, 2018] In our world there has been a trend – some say it’s a fad – to denigrate anything having to do with religion. That trend is foolish and here is one reason why. Simply put, the Jesuit religious value system brings out the very best in people. A Jesuit education is an integral part of… 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 19, 2018] It is rare for the average person to have a mentor. It is even rarer to have a mentor who is smart enough to provide us with quality advice and guidance. I was privileged on both counts and am lucky enough to recall some of his best words to live by. It was my understanding… 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 »
[July 15, 2018] As noted previously, I began a new blog thread to give a brief summary of leadership topics I like but could not get into sufficient detail. The clearing the spindle post today focuses on this being the year of insults. Good leaders don’t insult others … mostly. The primary job of any leader is to… Read More »
[July 12, 2018] French statesman and military leader Napoléon Bonaparte once famously wrote, “Give me enough medals and I’ll win you any war.” It’s a line of thought that tells us first about how leadership rests on the principle of knowing how people act emotionally and second, to capitalize on it. On this date, July 12th in 1862,… Read More »
[July 11, 2018] Nearly every day I come across an article or a book that discusses leadership styles. I’ve even discussed them (here and here) and also had some thoughts on the “evolution” of leadership here. But a recent article by Miles Anthony Smith got me to thinking about them again.1 Smith takes a look at the most… Read More »
[July 10, 2018] On occasion here at my leadership blog, I ask the proverbial question, Why should leaders seek wisdom? The purpose of the question is to strike at the heart of a mystery that has tugged at humankind since the beginning. Leaders seek wisdom so that they can know the problem and fix it when called upon.… Read More »