[December 05, 2013] Another organization that has been historically successful and displays its core values prominently, is the financial services company USAA (United Services Automobile Association). In 1922, a group of U.S. Army officers decided to self-insure when they were unable to get auto insurance because they were considered high risk. USAA’s stated core values are: Service Loyalty… Read More »
[December 04, 2013] If there is but one characteristic of senior executive leaders that stands above all others, it is the possession of unquestionable integrity. Without it, all the other key leader traits will amount to nothing at all. “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it… Read More »
[December 03, 2013] Senior executive leaders, by the nature of their position, must possess a grounded, pragmatic, and experienced understanding of human psychology. By that, I don’t mean they have academic training in psychological theories or a college degree in psychology or sociology. The most successful senior leader knows people; what makes them “tick.” Being a leader at… Read More »
[November 30, 2013] One would logically expect that in a nation that values and rewards achievement, that any bias regarding success would be in favor of the characteristic. In reality there exists, in many cultures, a bias against achievement. Senior leaders should make themselves aware of this peculiar social phenomenon. Everyone has experienced the classroom show-off, whose interaction… Read More »
[November 29, 2013] Reverend William “Billy” Graham, Jr. is a Southern Baptist minister, who rose to celebrity status in 1949 reaching a large constituency across the U.S. and the Christian world. He held large indoor and outdoor rallies; sermons were broadcast on radio and television, some still being re-broadcast today. He is a great communicator with a consistent… Read More »
[November 26, 2013] I vividly remember reading the Miss Manners column in our local Texas newspaper back in the early 1980s. What drew my attention to them was her ability to give such common sense advice about how to have good manners under difficult social circumstances. She was good at telling us how to handle “old Uncle Billy”… Read More »
[November 25, 2013] On January 12, 1950, Secretary of State Dean Acheson gave a speech in which he explained America’s Asian Policy, specifically saying that certain countries (e.g., Japan, Philippines) were inside the United States’ protective sphere. South Korea1 was not mentioned in his speech and five months later, North Korea2 invaded. Acheson was severely criticized for giving… Read More »
[November 24, 2013] I originally wrote this blog post with the title “Disrespect to Leaders” but realized that I was actually leaving out a big part of the picture by not including “anger.” What brought me to this conclusion was an article published a couple of days ago entitled “America’s Anger Epidemic: Why?” by Dan Bowens. In order… Read More »
[November 23, 2013] To paraphrase Charles Darwin, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Although written for a theory to explain how species survive, the idea has applicability to success in human organizations. Adaptability is at the core… Read More »
[November 22, 2013] Fifty years ago today in 1963, US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The nation was shocked and grief stricken. Nevertheless, there was an orderly and peaceful leader transition to the new President, Lyndon B. Johnson. Organizations transition senior leaders for a variety of reason. While it can be a good thing when replacing an… Read More »