[July 21, 2018] A week at Boy Scout camp finished up late last night and we made it home safely and are happy to be back with our families. The troop’s adult leaders and boys holding leadership positions, all of us, came home with a greater appreciation of what practical leadership is about and its realistic application. One… Read More »
[July 20, 2018] If there is one lesson I personally learned the hard way as a leader, it’s that words matter. There are words that inspire and can make a leader look both gracious and intelligent. Words matter, even a few.1 It was over a decade ago in 2007 when I was standing inside Camp War Eagle; a… Read More »
[July 19, 2018] It is rare for the average person to have a mentor. It is even rarer to have a mentor who is smart enough to provide us with quality advice and guidance. I was privileged on both counts and am lucky enough to recall some of his best words to live by. It was my understanding… Read More »
[July 18, 2018] If you are a leader in any capacity whatsoever, you represent to outsiders, others in your employment, family, religion, nationality, or in any other grouping imaginable. When outsiders see you and listen to what you have to say, you are an ambassador to the groups to which you are affiliated. While it may not be… Read More »
[July 17, 2018] As I write this from Boy Scout campsite Yawgoog, our boys are getting ready to trek to dinner and show their scout spirit. This is the end of day 2 at Boy Scout summer camp in rural southern New Jersey. So far, we’ve re-learned a few leader lessons worth sharing. The Boy Scout Motto is… Read More »
[July 16, 2018] We often hear that there is no such thing as a dumb question. Sadly, that is not true. There are plenty of dumb and, frankly, embarrassing questions that make us look foolish and uninformed. What a good leader knows is that there are many advantages to asking good questions. “The art and science of asking… Read More »
[July 15, 2018] As noted previously, I began a new blog thread to give a brief summary of leadership topics I like but could not get into sufficient detail. The clearing the spindle post today focuses on this being the year of insults. Good leaders don’t insult others … mostly. The primary job of any leader is to… Read More »
By guest blogger Patrick Bailey [July 14, 2018] Nearly 50 million Americans use illegal drugs, and around 70% of these individuals are working somewhere. What does this mean for you as a leader? That there is a good chance someone in your team is a victim of substance abuse, and falls under this category. Obviously that person is… Read More »
[July 13, 2018] Occasionally we find there are folks working behind the scenes to do good works in their communities. Whether it’s a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, or a group raising awareness, there are many ways this can occur. One unique type of people helping is pets and vets rescue services. There are several of these organizations… Read More »
[July 12, 2018] French statesman and military leader Napoléon Bonaparte once famously wrote, “Give me enough medals and I’ll win you any war.” It’s a line of thought that tells us first about how leadership rests on the principle of knowing how people act emotionally and second, to capitalize on it. On this date, July 12th in 1862,… Read More »