[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 »
[July 8, 2018] A few years ago I was speaking with a good friend of mine who had just finished a 30-year career as a U.S. Army Colonel. He was a wonderful leader in many aspects and it was shocking to me that he had not been promoted to Flag Officer rank. Later, I found out something about… Read More »
[July 7, 2018] Given that leadership is difficult, it makes plenty of good sense to get rid of any bad leader habits that may be interfering with our lives. Many leaders are capable of recognizing a bad habit and then taking steps to eliminate it. Others, however, cannot see a bad habit for what it is. What does… Read More »
[July 6, 2018] Occasionally most of us reflect back in time to the decisions we’ve made and have seen the biggest regrets we made. Perhaps it was that we wish we had married that rich girl from the other side of town. Or that we quit the military. Our military members have regrets too and I surveyed them… Read More »
[July 4, 2018] Last year, I wrote about the surrender of the Confederate garrison at Vicksburg, Mississippi on this date; July 4, 1863, and how the city’s residents did not celebrate Independence Day until the 1960s because of it.1 What I didn’t write was that the Vicksburg Siege was part of Lincoln’s grand strategy and his idea of… Read More »
[July 3, 2018] Leaders are not born and people don’t instantly become leaders just because they are given a position of responsibility. Leaders teach others to lead because that is the only way an individual can become an effective leader of people. “A mind is a fire to be kindled, not a vessel to be filled.” – Plutarch,… Read More »