[July 23, 2016] Yes, words have consequences and especially when spoken by senior leaders. Leaders have been known to make terrible choices of their words and then, unexpectedly, become more resolute when confronted. All of us have chosen poorly but rarely are word choices so important than when we are a leader. Knowing what to say, when to… Read More »
[July 22, 2016] In Part 1 of this series I pointed out some of the important things that kids should never do.1 In Part 2, I addressed some of the opportunities we should give children we are teaching leadership.2 Today, I’ll provide a few how to techniques for kids so they can develop the right skills for the… Read More »
[July 21, 2016] In Part 1 of this three-part series on teaching children leadership, I laid out some of the more important things that kids (or anyone) should “never” do.1 The subject matter makes it relatively easy for kids to learn leadership and apply those skills throughout their entire lifetimes. Today, I’ll address key opportunities any program to… Read More »
[July 20, 2016] Of course, children can learn leadership … and like a second language it’s easier to teach them while they’re young and eager to be taught. Many psychological studies show that what and how we learn at a young age influences us throughout our lives; all the more reason to teach leadership to kids. I’ve personally… Read More »
[July 19, 2016] On this date, June 19th in 1865, Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation and freed all remaining slaves in the state of Texas; six weeks after the U.S. Civil War officially ended. Slavery in the U.S. was a contentious issue at the time and its legacy remains in race relations to this day. Like President… Read More »
[July 18, 2016] Know your enemy; know how he thinks, how he feels, and what his future plans are. That’s always been a key philosophy throughout my military career and the reason I bought a copy of Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler and began reading the English translation. I never finished the book because I couldn’t tolerate its… Read More »
[July 17, 2016] On occasion we hear of stories about people of strong character. For those who study leadership it is valuable to understand what makes up those people in, what I call, “character.” It’s always worthwhile to do so, so that we may learn the refinements of those traits that are important in the development of good… Read More »
[July 16, 2016] I’ll add my two cents worth to the analysis of terrorism in Nice, France. My main point, as stated before, is that the recent surge in Islamic attacks has no single cause and no single person to blame and thus no easy solution. Very few of us are surprised that it occurred, especially in France… Read More »
[July 15, 2016] My original blog entry today was going to be about how leaders seem to take themselves too seriously. Whether it’s narcissistic behavior or simply going too far in promoting themselves, leaders can cross the line with their words and behavior. A recent dust up over the comments by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg… Read More »
[July 14, 2016] A good friend of mine for many years told me recently that “honesty is no longer valued.” He was exaggerating but also being rather blunt after an experience he had with several younger folks that accused him of being a sexist. “There was no arguing with them,” he told me. For some time now, many… Read More »