[September 30, 2013] Tonight at 12:01 am, there exists a possibility of a government “shutdown”. For clarity, there is no complete shutdown and despite the hype we hear from the media, a complete shutdown has never happened. What do we make of this situation from a leadership position? I just reposted “The Purpose of Divisiveness” from a few… Read More »
[September 30, 2013] For some reason the “Purpose of Divisiveness” post from 26 September does not work. Here it is reposted. Yesterday I was listening to the news on the radio while driving. I don’t remember the specific channel or who was talking but I do remember the news reporter replaying comments from a U.S. Representative (purposefully unnamed). Our… Read More »
[September 30, 2013] Organizational “transitions” are those events when an organization takes risk to change its processes. Transitions involve major changes to the organization. Organizational transitions are either internally or externally driven, require significant resources and planning to surmount, and put the organization at some level of danger of failure. Some organizations are in a near constant state… Read More »
[September 29, 2013] Yesterday in a small central Pennsylvania town, there was a community celebration called “Borough Day”. The celebration, an annual event, is designed to show off the community-minded spirit of its people. “The Little Town that Could®” demonstrates that strong leadership works great things regardless of the number of people involved, the resources available (small budget),… Read More »
[September 29, 2013] He was a high school dropout, judged “not especially gifted” when measured against the academic standards of the day. He was poor, but even as a young man, he took it upon himself to support his widowed mother and two sisters, one of whom was severely handicapped. But building a multinational corporation and emerging as… Read More »
[September 28, 2013] “Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” – Henry Ford Keeping an organization on track (Staying on Plan) is a difficult task. There are seemingly endless list of obstacles/challenges that hinder leader, team, employee, and organizational performance and mission accomplishment. Some goals are externally imposed, like the… Read More »
[September 27, 2013] When I was a young Infantry captain and company commander, I published my command philosophy (i.e., my leadership philosophy) – good thing because it forced me to think about how I would act and how I thought soldiers would perceive me. I had spent time reading books on famous leaders from history, World War II… Read More »
[September 25, 2013] If employees enjoy coming to work and customers are pleased with your product and services, then you have a positive organizational culture. A positive, healthy culture is the basis for improving your organization’s competitive edge. The most senior executive leaders have the responsibility to drive their organizational culture in a positive direction. While this is… Read More »
[September 24, 2013] Whenever senior executive leaders are being interviewed for a prominent position, they will be asked questions that fall into distinct categories. Of course, like in any interview, success is predicated upon a high level of preparation. But what makes a senior leader executive truly successful in an interview means that one must understand what makes… Read More »
[September 23, 2013] As noted before (Characteristic #11), senior executive leaders provide value to other leaders in a variety of ways. One way to do this is to articulate those things that you see as elements for a successful junior leader (the “66 essentials”). Another way is to ensure that there is a functioning and effective mentorship program… Read More »