[February 06, 2014] “Just do something,” is a common catchphrase we hear frequently from leaders. I think a better quote would be, “Just do something, anything at all.” Some people believe that any action is seen as better than no action, irrespective of whether the action is beneficial or damaging. Frankly, this is not leadership. It’s a sign… Read More »
[February 05, 2014] Senior executive leaders possess the highest levels of loyalty to their organization and to those who work for them. Leadership requires loyalty but senior leadership demands an intensity of commitment not seen in other leaders. It is difficult to imagine a great leader who is not intensely loyal to their organization and followers. We often… Read More »
[February 04, 2014] A couple of days ago, I wrote about two Washington Post articles by reporter Craig Whitlock who claims the U.S. military has a “culture of toxic military leaders.” The focus of that blog post was that leadership demands that toxic leadership not be hidden and should be resolved without partiality. I also pointed out that… Read More »
[February 03, 2014] Leadership comes in many forms and how it affects organizations is unpredictable in so many ways. Last night the Seattle Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII with a score 43 to 8; an unexpected and convincing win that demonstrates the changeable nature of leadership and how its impact can transform people. Interestingly, the Denver Broncos were… Read More »
[February 02, 2014] Super Bowl Sunday is here. So, it is most appropriate that I feature one of the great football coaches in NFL history who displayed senior leadership on and off the football field. On February 4, 2007, Dungy became the first African American coach to lead his team to a championship when his Colts defeated the… Read More »
[February 02, 2014] In a January 26 Washington Post article, several generals and admirals (flag officers) were identified as having involvement in allegedly unethical behavior. A follow-up article appeared two days later. The author rightly exposes what was hidden and is an example of bad leaders. But this is not the entire story. The military should be neither… Read More »
[February 01, 2014] Part 3: The White House. Robert Gates, in his new book, discusses senior leadership issues under both Presidents Bush and Obama. While he praises and criticizes both, it is the President Obama White House that shows the most flaws in following the requirements of senior leaders. In Part 1 (link here), Gates discussed the U.S.… Read More »
[January 31, 2014] Leadership means many things but ultimately it means getting people to accomplish a goal. Leaders come in a range of abilities and outcomes in performance – great, good, bad and yes evil. But there is one category, the evil leader, which deserves special mention. Several years ago I was presented with a DVD of recordings… Read More »
[January 30, 2014 – Thursday] I’m writing this from the Atlanta airport this morning, being delayed along with thousands of others since yesterday. For those who have been out of the last 48-hour news cycle, the city of Atlanta and much of the southeast was in gridlock after two inches of snow and ice hit mid-day Tuesday. Both… Read More »
[January 30, 2014] Part 2: The Pentagon. In Robert Gates new book, he addresses both the good and the bad (lots of both) of our nation’s senior leadership during his time a Secretary of Defense under Presidents Bush and Obama. My goal is to provide this series for readers about every other day. Part 1 (link here) discussed… Read More »