[April 2, 2018] As a new Second Lieutenant, I was originally a slob; my clothes were everywhere, my refrigerator had expired food in it, and my desk at work was disorganized. One day I had a grizzled, old sergeant comes into my office to give me a piece of constructive advice. Get organized, he said, and while you’re… Read More »
[March 1, 2018] One of the first things that I learned from my military instructors on how to be a leader was to keep things simple. That’s not exactly what they said, it was keep it simple, stupid which is usually said in its acronym form KISS; oddly enough, originally a design application of the U.S. Navy in… Read More »
[February 20, 2018] U.S. President Harry S Truman had a sign on his desk that was there to show he personally accepted responsibility for the way the country was run. The sign read, “The buck stops here.” Good habits by leaders start at accepting responsibility for their actions and the best leaders do this daily. Leaders don’t try… Read More »
[November 6, 2017] One of the privileges (some say advantage) of having worked in a senior leadership position in the upper reaches of the Department of Defense is getting to meet some really intelligent folks. These were great leaders who led soldiers in combat and created a consistent legacy of outstanding performance and service to the United States.… Read More »
[July 15, 2017] “Everything’s a priority!” yelled the commander of the U.S. Navy frigate. The story was from my uncle who sailed on an Anti-Submarine Warfare ship during the last months of World War II and so the story goes – as he told us children – the events that led to the sinking of his ship and… Read More »
[July 10, 2017] If there is one thing being a U.S. military officer taught me, it was that I could do absolutely nothing without the assistance of others. My job – if I was willing to accept it – was to provide a vision and convince others to follow me. That is what leadership is about and it… Read More »
[June 22, 2017] Effective leaders make a habit out of those things that work; that sustain them in times when things are tough. Leaders, therefore, must use their skills at persuasion to enforce standards of excellence. The only way to do this is to be approachable where people are not afraid to come to you and voice their… 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 »
[April 21, 2017] Here at theLeaderMaker.com I like to encourage habits that make leaders effective. In that context, I’ve found whenever a leader asks good questions, good things happen. Indeed, this is a significant fact that cannot be overlooked by those who fill the role of leader. There is, however, some confusion I will clear up. Two key… Read More »
[April 9, 2017] One day many years ago I was visiting Fort Dix, New Jersey; a small U.S. Army base where mostly Reservists and Guardsmen train and located east of Philadelphia across the Delaware River. The commander of the base was a senior Colonel and a rising star in the military. He was eager to tell me that… Read More »