[July 4, 2018] Last year, I wrote about the surrender of the Confederate garrison at Vicksburg, Mississippi on this date; July 4, 1863, and how the city’s residents did not celebrate Independence Day until the 1960s because of it.1 What I didn’t write was that the Vicksburg Siege was part of Lincoln’s grand strategy and his idea of… Read More »
[July 3, 2018] Leaders are not born and people don’t instantly become leaders just because they are given a position of responsibility. Leaders teach others to lead because that is the only way an individual can become an effective leader of people. “A mind is a fire to be kindled, not a vessel to be filled.” – Plutarch,… Read More »
[July 2, 2018] I write often about advice on how to be a successful leader. Much of it is like my maternal grandmother’s advice which was simple … work hard and you will be happy and successful. But, I make the assumption that every reader has the same understanding of what ‘work hard’ means and how it makes… Read More »
[July 1, 2018] As a teenager, I had a number of odd jobs that paid little, low prestige, and often came with risk of harm. One such job was selling fireworks; much like we see as the 4th of July celebration approaches. These jobs taught me about leadership in ways you might not expect. Learning is often done… Read More »
By guest blogger Cloe Matheson [June 30, 2018] Every business leader knows the challenge of keeping employees motivated at work. No single strategy is guaranteed to be immediately successful – each employee is inspired by different factors, so implementing company-wide motivation usually requires a combination of approaches. Here are 5 practices that can help your employees stay on… Read More »
[June 29, 2018] Pictured here is a U.S. Army Sergeant First Class with what we call a Green Tab on the epaulets of his uniform.1 The Green Tab signifies that the soldier is in a leadership position and, as such, commands a sizable amount of respect for the responsibilities he currently holds. In the U.S. Army, there are… Read More »
[June 28, 2018] The best way to learn a lesson is by a) observing others making mistakes and then b) taking it to heart.1 In the news just a few days ago, a restaurant owner at the Red Hen in Lexington, Virginia refused service to the U.S. White House press secretary and her family. Other commercial enterprises, like… Read More »
[June 27, 2018] Tell me the story of the foot soldier and I will tell you the story of all wars.1 I like this quote from an old war movie and it has been a favorite of mine since I watched it for the first time more than 40 years ago. From the time we were little boys,… Read More »
[June 26, 2018] I’m a big advocate for learning through sports. Team sports activities are one of the few times any of us get to learn leadership by play.1 It’s when players learn how to better cooperate and communicate with their teammates, coaches, and fans. The games we play, at any age, are valuable to us physically, emotionally,… Read More »
[June 25, 2018] A friend wrote me on Facebook yesterday and asked about our time in the military and why we were so effective at our jobs but not always very efficient at what we were doing. Leader effectiveness is not (I repeat not) always about efficiency. These concepts are often conflated with one another. It is also… Read More »