[December 12, 2018] Back in 2007, I was putting together a large military construction effort and working closely with a senior Colonel from the Australian Army. One day we were talking about how military construction project secrets so quickly reached the newspapers. In his typical Aussie approach he told me that when the grass is cut, the snakes… Read More »
[December 10, 2018] There’s an old piece of leadership advice – one that I’m unsure the origin – that goes something like this; true leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders. Good advice. A mentor of mine told me that only one thing determines whether or not you’re a true leader; the opinion of those folks you’re… Read More »
[December 9, 2018] There will always be unintended consequences in what we do; even in the most righteous and just behaviors. American colleges and universities have taken great strides over the past few decades to be welcoming and committed to justice for all. Yet, in their zeal to correct wrongs, they themselves have deviated from their traditional mission… Read More »
[December 6, 2018] It was 5am on a snowy January in southwestern Germany’s Black Forrest, many decades ago when I first encountered Sergeant “Bad Boy Mac” McCracken. McCracken was known for his hot temper and miserable demeanor. It took me only a few minutes to witness his bad attitude and the impact was to be significant. I received… Read More »
[December 5, 2018] About a year after the U.S. invasion of Panama, my engineer unit was sent into country to rebuild some destroyed structures and road networks. When we arrived there was an Engineer Captain who had been on site since the invasion. We were warned that he was going native and that we should be careful when… Read More »
[December 3, 2018] About ten years ago, a little-known book made a splash in business management circles. The reason, I believe, was because the book’s theme was that managers must learn to be leaders if they plan on getting anything of value accomplished. Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles wrote the book titled, “Gung Ho! Turn on the People… Read More »
[November 30, 2018] One of my jobs as a 14-year old teenager, and where I learned many lessons, was taking out the trash at a local restaurant. David Hackworth once said that “It’s human nature to start taking things for granted when danger isn’t banging loudly on the door.” That’s exactly the way it was one day when… Read More »
[November 28, 2018] Many years ago I was writing one of my first evaluations of a junior officer. Before I started, my boss gave me some advice; “Don’t use words that are overtly critical. Use ‘bland’ language. We will know what it means.” In other words, in the military we use coded language that says one thing but… Read More »
[November 26, 2018] With the upcoming holiday season and the time of giving, I thought it appropriate to once again address the topic that real leaders create goodwill. They create it year round. The benefits are well known and it typically takes little effort to make it happen. The benefits for a leader are straightforward. Goodwill encourages loyalty,… Read More »
[November 24, 2018] The idea that leadership is a sacred trust is not new. Because the meaning is so broad, there is a lack of clarity. What does it mean when we say that leadership is a sacred trust? Is this a religious statement? “It is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.”… Read More »