[May 21, 2017] In 2001 as part of his senior project in High School, my son Sean wrote an essay about Enron; the most innovative company in America. His idea was to show how a well run enterprise can be successful for its investors. Sean graduated in May but in October of that same year, executives at Enron,… Read More »
[May 20, 2017] Senior leaders are often asked complex, ambiguous questions that easily trip up even the most seasoned veteran of leadership. What leaders learn, usually the hard way from blundering an answer, is that good answers require knowing how to read a question. Whether it be at a news conference, an interview, or fielding ad hoc questions… Read More »
[May 19, 2017] British Royal Navy officer Lionel Crabb was a frogman (underwater diver) who served with distinction during World War II and for a time afterwards. He was described as tiny and a poor swimmer with a long nose, bright eyes, and with his miniature frame he might have been an aquatic garden gnome.1 Lionel Crabb is… Read More »
[May 18, 2017] One of the good things about reading a book is that occasionally I stumble upon one (usually accidentally) that reinforces the time-tested basics of leadership. With the weather improving daily and my daily walking for exercise improving, I find myself less drawn to books that require thinking and more to those that entertainment. I consider… Read More »
[May 17, 2017] FBI Director James Comey was recently fired from his job after President Trump decided it was time for him to go. There are few people who would deny that the decision was necessary although it occurred rather abruptly. One of the reasons for the firing, it is alleged, is that Comey called Trump crazy (although… Read More »
[May 16, 2017] A few nights ago I got a call from one of my close friends who retired just before me. As a Vice Admiral (three-star Flag Officer) he was one of the truly most exceptional leaders produced by the U.S. Navy in the last 50 years. Our conversation revolved around the meaning of loyalty and how… Read More »
[May 15, 2017] Our staff headquarters was going through a Transition of Authority (ToA) whereby an incoming military unit takes over the combat duties from an outgoing unit. When I arrived in July of that year, the violence in Iraq was the highest it had ever been. To complicate my transition into Engineer Staff operations, I had to… Read More »
[May 14, 2017] Leaders lead by example; by being the best person for the job and showing others how to act, talk, and even how to think. But as of late, we’ve all been witness to senior political leaders not following this proven way of good leadership when they complain about people and things ‘preventing’ them from doing… Read More »
[May 13, 2017] Practical, day-to-day leadership is something that must be practiced and that is why I began this series on good habits several years ago. At the time, I wrote some good advice and my first was to never assume anything. It was also the time that I wanted to write that one of the best pieces… Read More »
[May 12, 2017] This may seem rather obvious to most of us but getting a jump start on leader tasks is simply good, practical advice. Overlooked advice, I might add, is when leaders fail to take the time and effort to prepare themselves in advance when they have the chance to do so. Timely preparation gives the leader… Read More »