[January 26, 2018] There is an interesting commercial on television that is my personal favorite regarding office hours. The message it sends is that there are jobs that offer no excuses for not doing your work. A woman knocks on a door, enters, and says she needs to take a sick day. The camera then pans to a… Read More »
[January 25, 2018] Patrick Lencioni, in his groundbreaking work on leadership, has written about the dysfunction of teams. His study of leaders and their weaknesses has opened the eyes of many folks who want to know more about how leaders recognize and overcome personal weaknesses. “Whether we’re talking about leadership, teamwork, or client service, there is no more… Read More »
[January 24, 2018] Lessons on leadership can be found in the darndest places and teenagers are quick to learn them under the right circumstances. One of my many small jobs as a young boy was picking up cow manure from my neighbor’s farm and moving it to his wife’s garden. Like so many odd jobs that boys and… Read More »
[January 21, 2018] Five years ago, a junior U.S. Senator told a group of senior business and military leaders that the philosophy of American government was; If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It. The leaders in the room at the time, according to one of the more savvy business leaders, were shocked to hear that “Don’t Fix It”… Read More »
[January 20, 2018] My cousin was recently contacted by a dog rescue organization located in northeastern Louisiana. They wanted her to help get the word out about their adoption services for abandoned dogs. It appears that there has been an epidemic (her term) in abandoned dogs across the U.S.; somewhere around 75 to 90 million dog are abandoned… Read More »
[January 19, 2018] Last night I watched the movie Robin Hood (2010) starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. While the movie itself did not rate highly among its critics, what I liked about it was its reference to a great betrayal that occurred during 13th century England. Leadership means understanding the great accomplishments of humankind and why certain… Read More »
[January 18, 2018] My first permanent duty assignment in the U.S. Army took me to a remote outpost deep in rural West Germany in 1974. Immediately upon arrival all the “newbies” (as we were called) got a lecture from our Platoon Sergeant. The takeaway, as I remember, was that he would not put up with any whining or… Read More »
[January 17, 2018] A chance meeting last week with a young man who worked at a local retail store brought back some thoughts on core values and their importance. The man, I’ll call him Jason but not his real name, had been let go from his employment when the company permanently closed. I asked him what the company… Read More »
[January 16, 2018] The recent question circulating among our senior political leaders is about the idea that we can no longer formally charge or prosecute people for treason despite it being the only crime defined in the U.S. Constitution. Their belief, as well as many scholars, is that recent leader trends suggest that we actually encourage treason among… Read More »
[January 14, 2018] There is an old saying that Communist and socialist nations possess militaries that perform poorly at war; especially at the tactical level. Experience seems to bear this out and thus it comes as no surprise that senior government officials in China believe their military to be unprepared for war, lazy, and complacent. They blame the… Read More »