[January 7, 2018] My wife, who is Italian and strong-willed, reminds me each time we see a commercial about the Miss America pageant that “this is the 21st Century and therefore no need for exploiting women like this.” And that is exactly the struggle the pageant’s leadership is facing; how to make the beauty contest relevant in a… Read More »
[January 6, 2018] Leadership is complex, difficult, and sometimes creates unexpected results. Such is the case with the theocratic government of Iran as they contemplate what to do about the growing number of antigovernment protesters showing their dissatisfaction. Is there a new Iranian revolution under way or is it something else? That is what “experts” are asking themselves;… Read More »
[January 5, 2018] Here I am, sitting at my wife’s desk while I write this blog entry (my computer is in the shop). The “bomb blizzard” of 2018 just hammered most of the U.S. East Coast and my little town got its share and is digging out. Today, therefore is devoted more to reflection than wisdom but I… Read More »
[January 4, 2018] One does not need to be a sage philosopher to know that trust is what makes successful interactions among humans possible. Trust is so fundamental and so ingrained into us that much of it often goes unrecognized; such as the meaning of words and symbols, courtesies, and in problem solving. Trust is also at the… Read More »
[January 3, 2018] Advising leaders the best way to untangle problems is one of my goals as a retired senior leader. Yet I remain amazed at how senior leaders fail to use tools at their disposal to assist their need to resolve issues. Email is one of the most valuable and most risky tools in the leadership toolbox.… Read More »
[January 2, 2018] As little kids, we were lucky to have a grandmother who was wise, strong, and helpful. Each Christmas season she would sit about a dozen of us grandkids down on the floor to talk to us about jealousy and how the emotion leads us only to ugly things. We were warned about resenting others who… Read More »
[December 31, 2017] With the new year 2018 beginning tomorrow, it is easy to sit back and relax a little … but that is not what good leaders are doing. Leaders are always ready. They are prepared to take the initiative whenever the right circumstances present themselves. This is what Western leaders are doing right now in support… Read More »
[December 29, 2017] The night was unusually dark and windy … perfect weather for an attack on an enemy fortified position located in a village just east of Baghdad. We had complete tactical surprise because unit leaders were ready to make sound and timely decisions. Over 25 Sunni insurgents were killed or captured that night due to the… Read More »
[December 28, 2017] In 1962, Avid Rental Car was losing money and looking to reinvent itself.1 Avis was trailing behind the market leader Hertz, so they hired an ad agency which came up with the slogan, “When you’re only No. 2, you try harder … or else.” Avis executives were terrified of failure; one thing they were not… Read More »
[December 27, 2017] Over the Christmas holidays I had the fortune to speak with military veterans attending location colleges. I do this as a free service to them; something I had no opportunity as a student many decades ago. In one instance, I was surprised to see a college administrator in attendance who complained that I was working… Read More »