[September 14, 2013] If there had to be one common characteristic of all leaders, basic to senior executive, honesty would be it. “The buck stops here” is a phrase that was popularized by President Harry Truman, who kept a sign with that phrase on his desk at the White House. The phrase refers to the fact that the… Read More »
[September 13, 2013] Articles on toxic leadership and how to spot a bad boss have been fashionable of late. There is no denying that failed leaders are not uncommon and that some will be discovered; and with due diligence removed before too much damage is done to the organization and to people’s careers. Many of these poor leaders… Read More »
[September 12, 2013] Henry Kissinger saw that one of the challenges of senior leaders on foreign policy was being able to discern between urgent and important matters, and then developing procedures to keep the urgent from overcoming the important. What the Honorable Kissinger was saying is that leaders are sometimes so busy coping with urgent issues, like the… Read More »
[September 10, 2013] I was once told that a philosopher said that if there is no answer to a question, then one should not worry about it. My personal opinion is that is exactly the opposite of what we should do. Senior executive leaders have an obligation to think – and program themselves the time to think critically… Read More »
[September 9, 2013] A fundamental attribute of the senior executive leader is the ability to build trust and confidence in the people who work for us, supervisors, peers and associates, and clients. Building and management of that trust and confidence ranks as one of the top factors to achieve and sustain high levels of organizational strength. It is… Read More »
[September 9, 2013] You live in a fishbowl for all to see. As a senior executive leader, if you work in a highly visible organization, in particular those that are taxpayer or privately funded or a highly competitive commercial corporation, then expect that your public and private life will be seen and judged against diverse moral, legal, and… Read More »
[September 8, 2013] As promised, this blog is about the exploration of attributes and character of the senior executive leader. This allows a dive more into the depths of those points that distinguish the senior executive leader from the beginner and junior leader. Truthfully, many characteristics will be distinguished by degree; laying along a continuum of strength or… Read More »
[September 7, 2013] In Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, he uses a metaphor to illustrate the leading from behind leadership style. He writes, quoting a regent’s axiom: “… a leader … is like a Sheppard. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing all along they are being directed from… Read More »
[September 6, 2013] Whether you are the CEO of a large commercial firm, the President of a university, the head of an international non-profit organization, or a General/Flag officer in the military, you are a “senior executive” and by definition a “leader”. Does this make you the “top dog”, the “old man”? Well…yes. There are also many positions… Read More »
[September 4, 2013] Is there a difference in basic leadership and senior executive leadership? To answer the question, we must get to the fundamental concept of leadership and its various meanings. Leadership, at its heart, is the ability to get people to accomplish a goal they would not necessarily have done. Now, many people will argue with me… Read More »