[April 10, 2014] Today we are being told that former IRS official Ms Lois Lerner was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about the targeting of “conservative groups” by the IRS1. Interestingly, we are starting to see more political leaders coming forth asking the IRS to be transparent about what happened. I argued a… Read More »
[April 10, 2014] As my readers know, I spend a significant amount of my time in airports and on planes traveling. There are plenty of times where I am witness to airport workers and flight attendants not serving their customers. This happens all too frequently. Too often, I have watched leaders (and managers) stand by and allow a situation… Read More »
[April 09, 2014] The federal government’s new public school lunch program announced in 2012 and quickly implemented in the past school year has developed a number of problems. This happens when large bureaucratic programs are enacted without the groundwork and right leadership in place to ensure success. Some of the “healthier” foods, the students would not eat. Many… Read More »
[April 06, 2014] We often hear that a leader “zero defects” mentality means a struggling organization that discourages risk-taking and creativity. Why is it that senior executive leaders fall into this trap and why is there a zero defect mentality in the first place when it can be so destructive? There is one clear critical facet of leadership… Read More »
[April 05, 2014] The Mozilla senior executive leadership took a radical and un-American step in forcing their new CEO to step down for privately supporting traditional marriage over gay marriage. In the United States, we are beginning to see some companies like Mozilla forcing people out of jobs because of their private views. In this case, his private… Read More »
[April 05, 2014] There is an old proverb that says that opportunity knocks only once. While there are many meanings, one common interpretation is that when something presents itself to you, there is only one chance to make the right decision on it. “Opportunity knocks only once. You never know if you’ll get another opportunity.” – Leon Spinks … Read More »
[April 03, 2014] We can expect over the next few days a lot of talk and hype about the reasons for another deadly shooting at a U.S. military base and, of course, much speculation about the shooter. Further, the national media and others will use the tragic event to further their political agendas. We will hear most about… Read More »
[April 03, 2014] Leadership works and (supposedly) it does work because of rational decisions of humans. But consider that leadership may be an outcome of trial and error in human affairs1. Maybe it’s the result of some people wanting the easier path, avoiding responsibility. In an earlier blog (link here) we discussed how leadership is not linear because… Read More »
[April 02, 2014] Leadership does not mean that in order to be successful, people must like that person. However, it is important for senior leaders to not be in a position of being intensely hated. To be truly hated, that leader must dramatically violate accepted norms of society. Two women today are hated by the major of Americans… Read More »
[April 01, 2014] The United Nations’ report issued yesterday declared that future global warming impacts will be “severe, pervasive, and irreversible.” Many expected this conclusion but it is certainly not without strongly differing opinions. Yet, how leaders conduct themselves in the mist of such strong controversial issues and how they deal with dissent, tells us much about that… Read More »