[April 23, 2014] It should be clear by now that great leaders (truly all leaders) provide an extraordinary level of motivation. When we look to history for examples of motivation, one of the most famous is the Islamic Commander Tariq. What he said to his men is something I learned in grade school history class (and probably all… Read More »
[April 19, 2014] My best friend in high school owned a 1962 Chevrolet Corvair – before the end of our senior year, the car was a heap of trash because of its propensity to roll in a tight turn. That was when I first heard of Ralph Nader, a man who made car safety a calling that eventually… Read More »
[April 11, 2014] Over the past few days, within the blogosphere, there has been talk about the “intelligence equals education” debate. The debate centers on whether a college degree is a requirement for “higher [political] office,” like President of the United States. The implication we can get from this debate is that leadership probably requires a college degree. … Read More »
[April 11, 2014] They were known as the Brooklyn Mohawks and they were famous as “fearless high-rise construction workers.” As iron workers and riveters, they helped make the New York City skyline in the early 20th Century. As senior leaders know, leadership employs bravery (moral or physical courage). The Iroquois Nation’s culture1 with a “warrior ethic” was a… Read More »
[April 10, 2014] Today we are being told that former IRS official Ms Lois Lerner was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions about the targeting of “conservative groups” by the IRS1. Interestingly, we are starting to see more political leaders coming forth asking the IRS to be transparent about what happened. I argued a… Read More »
[April 08, 2014] Senior leadership means knowing when to act, when to speak, and when to make a decision. Because senior leaders are involved more at the strategic level work (and thus less at the tactical level), it is not typically necessary to be quick to make a move. Senior leadership in this respect is similar to the… Read More »
[April 06, 2014] We often hear that a leader “zero defects” mentality means a struggling organization that discourages risk-taking and creativity. Why is it that senior executive leaders fall into this trap and why is there a zero defect mentality in the first place when it can be so destructive? There is one clear critical facet of leadership… Read More »
[April 03, 2014] We can expect over the next few days a lot of talk and hype about the reasons for another deadly shooting at a U.S. military base and, of course, much speculation about the shooter. Further, the national media and others will use the tragic event to further their political agendas. We will hear most about… Read More »
[March 27, 2014] Beginning this week, in addition to the senior leader blog, I’ll occasionally introduce new topics that are joined to senior leader issues, but not so close that it deserves a leader tag. My first “off topic” will be about Baseball – it requires “heart” to play (passion), practiced study of the opponent (patience and intelligence),… Read More »
[March 21, 2014] It was interesting to get a short course on horseback packing, their care, and how to engage in a firefight while mounted. The U.S. Marine Corps conducts a hands-on training course at their Mountain Warfare Training Center on the military use of large animals in difficult terrain. Leadership means thinking beyond the obvious solutions and… Read More »