[October 30, 2013] Over the last two days, I visited a soon-to-deploy military combat unit (with their families) and visited a Veterans’ Administration hospital. The contrast between the two in the “passion” of the personnel at each event was noteworthy. Both the personnel conducting the troop and family event, as well as those attending, were unparalleled in their… Read More »
[October 28, 2013] A frequent question asked is: “What is the most challenging part of a senior leader’s job?” Most believe that dealing with the impact of America’s unstable economic situation, overwhelming organizational bureaucracy, or working with insufferable government agencies unfamiliar with the leader’s organization would the challenge. While these are a bit demanding, they are not the… Read More »
[October 27, 2013] Good leaders are not defined by any one temperament. Leaders come with a variety of temperaments that may change depending upon the circumstances that are needed to produce a particular set of results. There are times when situations demand that the leader have a cool and stable temperament. The most obvious is that of a… Read More »
[October 26, 2013] If you want to be a good leader, but especially if you want to be a great leader, plan on doing things outside your personal comfort zone. Senior leaders must be always on the lookout for ways to improve their capability and capacity to get things done. “If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing.” – Unknown … Read More »
[October 25, 2013] As children we used to tease each other occasionally by telling our friends we had a real “good deal” for them. We would sell them a bridge … called the Brooklyn Bridge … at a great price. This teasing game likely came about in the 1800s when the bridge was associated with some political corruption. … Read More »
[October 23, 2013] Many years ago in my college days, I saw the movie “Being There” staring Woody Allen and Shirley Maclaine. The movie is about a low intelligent gardener whose only knowledge of the world is from watching television. It is a sort of pre Forrest Gump type movie with the main character who lucks into fame… Read More »
[October 18, 2013] The photograph is of the crew of the Boeing B-17 “The Memphis Belle.” During WWII, lead by Captain Robert Morgan, the crew flew 29 missions altogether, 25 in this aircraft. I was fortunate to meet retired Colonel Robert Morgan nearly two decades ago and to hear of the exploits of his crew and the combat… Read More »
[October 16, 2013] Today’s business environment is changing. Companies are struggling to meet the challenges and the opportunities of a communications-centric business environment. This means that the way organizations are lead must keep pace, in part, by retaining their best employees. So, how do we keep the best, first-rate employees? It is common knowledge that keeping any employee… Read More »
[October 12, 2013] It is certainly no surprise that we Americans today are not happy with our federal government. Our dissatisfaction has reached a record-breaking low point. Consider how dissatisfied we are in the following sampling of survey results: 18% are satisfied with the way the nation is being governed1 60% say fire every single member of Congress2 … Read More »
[October 8, 2013] Yesterday I was fortunate enough to visit the corporate offices and museum of Hillerich & Bradsby Company who make the Louisville Slugger1 baseball bat in Louisville, Kentucky. For the baseball enthusiasts out there, you can understand the thrill of visiting here. But this is really a story about a family that through determination, hard work,… Read More »