[October 23, 2013] The Battle of Leyte Gulf, formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of WWII and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history. Today I’m honoring those who fought so valiantly in this most important naval battle. Also, happy belated birthday… Read More »
[October 22, 2013] It is said that learning from your mistakes is the best teacher. I think the jury is still out on that judgment but failure certainly provides the most unforgettable opportunity to learn. Senior executive leaders will learn lessons from those failures just like any leader. However, the lessons that senior leaders take away are more… Read More »
[October 21, 2013] By discussing core values, it is again easy to select an organization that clearly articulates its values. The U.S. Army has seven values which follow the acronym LDRSHIP. They are: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Integrity, and Personal Courage. There is the expectation that every Soldier, regardless of rank, memorizes and lives by those values.… Read More »
[October 20, 2013] Every decision that leaders make involves some level of bias. The problem is not that there is bias, a natural function, but that some biases in decision-making and employee affairs can lead to an incorrect judgment, unfounded conclusions, and uncertainty. Senior leaders are interested in both mission accomplishment and taking care of their employees. Therefore,… Read More »
[October 19, 2013] Humility is defined several ways. However, the meanings used today lead to confusion, especially when employed to describe a leader. First, it can mean lack of confidence or timidity. Or second, it can mean to be humble, lacking pretence, not believing you are superior to others. In some cultures, the language separates the meanings but… Read More »
[October 18, 2013] The photograph is of the crew of the Boeing B-17 “The Memphis Belle.” During WWII, lead by Captain Robert Morgan, the crew flew 29 missions altogether, 25 in this aircraft. I was fortunate to meet retired Colonel Robert Morgan nearly two decades ago and to hear of the exploits of his crew and the combat… Read More »
[October 17, 2013] Unpredictable major events, good or bad, that have a major effect on people, organizations, or society are often justified as destiny after their occurrence. While we cannot predict such events, we can certainly put into place mechanisms that prepare us better to take advantage of them. Taleb called these events “Black Swans.”1 The Honorable Donald… Read More »
[October 16, 2013] Today’s business environment is changing. Companies are struggling to meet the challenges and the opportunities of a communications-centric business environment. This means that the way organizations are lead must keep pace, in part, by retaining their best employees. So, how do we keep the best, first-rate employees? It is common knowledge that keeping any employee… Read More »
[October 15, 2013] As senior executive leaders, it is important that we deal with surprises appropriately. At the executive level we are fond of saying we don’t like surprises, simply because surprises tend to be very large and very bad. How senior leaders deal with a surprise can determine success or failure in our organizations. “What you see is… Read More »
[October 14, 2013] Choosing a famous leader for these profiles has been relatively easy. The Vince Lombardi selection today was not only easy, he is the person I quote most on leadership and have the most affinity toward. “Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of… Read More »