[April 20, 2014] During the Iraq war when parts of my Army unit were in Fallujah (called the second battle of Fallujah) at its worst of times late in 2004, we were given tactical advice by the US Marines. We were operating as engineers in their area and saw them on the frontlines daily and paid close attention… Read More »
[April 15, 2014] Today is tax day. But I digress. I won’t be sarcastic by referencing ethics and taxes in the same sentence (oh). From many mentors throughout my military career I’ve been given counsel to “Never do anything illegal, immoral, or unethical.” While it certainly provided me with successful and practical guidance, the ethical advice never seemed… Read More »
[April 08, 2014] Senior leadership means knowing when to act, when to speak, and when to make a decision. Because senior leaders are involved more at the strategic level work (and thus less at the tactical level), it is not typically necessary to be quick to make a move. Senior leadership in this respect is similar to the… Read More »
[April 04, 2014] Senior executive leaders know that accountability is something that is required of them and also know it is one of those traits that runs against our natural tendencies. Accepting responsibility for the actions of others, in particular poor actions of others, is a leader feature that sets them apart from others. All leaders are accountable… Read More »
[March 22, 2014] When General Petraeus, as the senior commander in Iraq, introduced his new “Clear, Hold, Build” strategy in late 2006, it was based on several factors; the most important of which was with an analysis and understanding of the history of insurgencies. Not unlike a senior leader needing the relevant experience in order to be most… Read More »
[March 21, 2014] It was interesting to get a short course on horseback packing, their care, and how to engage in a firefight while mounted. The U.S. Marine Corps conducts a hands-on training course at their Mountain Warfare Training Center on the military use of large animals in difficult terrain. Leadership means thinking beyond the obvious solutions and… Read More »
[March 20, 2014] When action is called for, when the company is in a death spiral, when the organization is headed to mission failure; it’s time for the senior leadership to be ruthless and do those things necessary things to save it from destruction. Doing the right things morally, ethically, and legally is of course a must for… Read More »
[March 01, 2014] Senior leadership is hard. One of the most challenging things for executive leaders to do is to keep a positive work culture. Fundamentally, organizational core values will play a key role in this work culture. When we consider a positive work culture and core values together, we call it “spiritual health.” This is rarely addressed… Read More »
[February 24, 2014] Senior leadership means having many attributes that are stronger and more powerful than other leaders less experienced and motivated. Having credibility is one of those complex characteristics that is hard to describe … we know it when we see it. Being able to articulate the components of credibility is important because it reaches back to… Read More »
[February 18, 2014] Leadership is about maintaining the human touch with people. People are the strength of their organization and leaders that do not understand this principle will always struggle to succeed. Effective leadership means treating people right and respecting them. As the saying goes, “Take care of your people and they will take care of you.” But… Read More »