[March 29, 2018] Riding my horse in the backcountry of West Virginia, one day I ran upon a man living alone in a shack by himself. I stopped to water my horse and speak with the man who looked to be one of the toughest men on the face of the Earth. From him, I learned more about… Read More »
[January 24, 2018] Lessons on leadership can be found in the darndest places and teenagers are quick to learn them under the right circumstances. One of my many small jobs as a young boy was picking up cow manure from my neighbor’s farm and moving it to his wife’s garden. Like so many odd jobs that boys and… Read More »
[August 30, 2017] The psychology of human beings is an enlightening realm of study even for the most casual leader. The reason is that people are both predictable and unpredictable; the science of psychology will forever work at narrowing the unpredictable. Learning to understand why people use stereotypes and its affects is a concern for leaders everywhere. Leaders… Read More »
[August 22, 2017] All accidents in the U.S. military are taken very seriously and large accidents are investigated thoroughly. Safeguards are so advanced that the U.S. Navy has brought ship safety to a new level. Yet collisions between ships, as recently occurred between the USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) and an oil tanker, are rare; often the result… Read More »
[July 2, 2017] Many young boys have had the opportunity to belong to the Boy Scouts and learn about good character development, citizenship, and personal fitness. My son Sean and I spent many days camping and enjoying activities that a small town environment encourages through the local Boy Scout program. The scouting experience embodies those essential values key… Read More »
[March 4, 2017] I’m posting this leadership blog today because I initially didn’t see anything about The Oscars of value for us here at theLeaderMaker.com. But in the aftermath of one of the biggest flubs in the history of the event and subsequent repercussions, I changed my mind. What is now being called the Oscars Envelopegate,1 offers us… Read More »
[December 22, 2016] Yes, even teenagers can be good leaders and many are very good without formal training or mentoring of any kind. It appears as if they’re born that way but we know that not to be true. Such was the case when a young teenager taught me a lesson in leadership and a gaggle of other… Read More »
[December 16, 2016] One of the many advantages of being a senior military Flag Officer is that you get to meet some of the most talented people in the world. Whether it was a business entrepreneur, religious figure, or political leader, our senior military personnel have met them to exchange ideas. What many of us discovered is that… Read More »
[December 3, 2016] We’ve all been there, sitting in the classroom with other students and being told by the teacher that following the rules is important to learning. And so it is. But following the rules in everyday life also applies to leaders and they must understand that when the decision is made to forgo that requirement, there… Read More »
[November 30, 2016] Whenever people talk about important leadership traits, they never fail to mention intelligence as a key component in making leaders successful. Just like honesty and courage, intelligence always finds a place as a crucial component of leadership. Yet anyone who owns a dog and has had their dog around others know that even dogs (and… Read More »