[November 30, 2013] One would logically expect that in a nation that values and rewards achievement, that any bias regarding success would be in favor of the characteristic. In reality there exists, in many cultures, a bias against achievement. Senior leaders should make themselves aware of this peculiar social phenomenon. Everyone has experienced the classroom show-off, whose interaction… Read More »
[November 29, 2013] Reverend William “Billy” Graham, Jr. is a Southern Baptist minister, who rose to celebrity status in 1949 reaching a large constituency across the U.S. and the Christian world. He held large indoor and outdoor rallies; sermons were broadcast on radio and television, some still being re-broadcast today. He is a great communicator with a consistent… Read More »
[November 28, 2013] Best wishes to all on this special occasion; Thanksgiving Day. One of my favorite times of year is Thanksgiving. What a great tradition – where we gather together to recount the Lord’s blessings. A special note: In the middle of the U.S. Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day, to be celebrated… Read More »
[November 27, 2013] The Battle of the Chosin Reservoir was a campaign early in the Korean War and was part of the Chinese Second Offensive (November 26 – December 15, 1950) to drive the United Nations out of North Korea. The Chosin Reservoir campaign was directed mainly against the 1st Marine Division of the U.S. X Corps, which had… Read More »
[November 26, 2013] I vividly remember reading the Miss Manners column in our local Texas newspaper back in the early 1980s. What drew my attention to them was her ability to give such common sense advice about how to have good manners under difficult social circumstances. She was good at telling us how to handle “old Uncle Billy”… Read More »
[November 25, 2013] On January 12, 1950, Secretary of State Dean Acheson gave a speech in which he explained America’s Asian Policy, specifically saying that certain countries (e.g., Japan, Philippines) were inside the United States’ protective sphere. South Korea1 was not mentioned in his speech and five months later, North Korea2 invaded. Acheson was severely criticized for giving… Read More »
[November 24, 2013] The Origin of Species was published November 24, 1859, just 154 years ago today. But its applicability to human organizations and psychology is clear. Yesterday I wrote about the necessary immense adaptability of senior leaders. We can learn much from Darwin’s writings. Below I have listed some of my favorite quotes from Darwin. “A man… Read More »
[November 24, 2013] I originally wrote this blog post with the title “Disrespect to Leaders” but realized that I was actually leaving out a big part of the picture by not including “anger.” What brought me to this conclusion was an article published a couple of days ago entitled “America’s Anger Epidemic: Why?” by Dan Bowens. In order… Read More »
[November 23, 2013] To paraphrase Charles Darwin, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Although written for a theory to explain how species survive, the idea has applicability to success in human organizations. Adaptability is at the core… Read More »
[November 22, 2013] Fifty years ago today in 1963, US President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The nation was shocked and grief stricken. Nevertheless, there was an orderly and peaceful leader transition to the new President, Lyndon B. Johnson. Organizations transition senior leaders for a variety of reason. While it can be a good thing when replacing an… Read More »