[July 31, 2014] The Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS), as predicted, slowed its southward advance into the heart of Iraq. While many in the U.S. Department of State predicted otherwise and the thinking was Iraq was in a state of collapse, the latest update from Iraq is that ISIS is “consolidating” its gains. In short, the… Read More »
[July 26, 2014] The war on terror that the United States has fought since the shocking events of September 11, 2001 has been directed at al Qaeda and its many affiliates throughout the world. But, the war began before America even knew it was at war. Today’s reading list choice is about one of those attacks pre-dating the… Read More »
[July 20, 2014] The best way for senior leaders to learn about what is really happening in their organization is to, simply, walk around and talk to people. That may appear to be uninspiring and lack originality, but it works … and it works well. In conversations with the most senior CEOs and military flag officers, one of… Read More »
[July 15, 2014] Thirty-five years ago today on July 15, 1979, President Jimmy Carter gave what has been called the “malaise speech.” Others called it his greatest speech and likewise many have called it the worst speech ever given by a U.S. president. The New York Times said the speech “struck a chord” and that it was on-target… Read More »
[July 08, 2014] Growing up in the Deep South provided me with opportunities for my friends and I to get into trouble and plenty of fistfights with each other. Preceding any fight however, there was the obligatory taunting: sticking our tongue out, name-calling, daring them in some way. My first grade teacher, upon observing one of these fights,… Read More »
[June 30, 2014] Leaders know that communication is one of the most important senior leadership characteristics one can possess. Great leaders, personally, have vast communication talents. Yet, they also have the ability to ensure their message is pushed throughout the organization, without unnecessary distortion. The best leaders also go to great lengths to avoid sending mixed signals. Nothing… Read More »
[June 25, 2014] The new IRS chief testified Monday night before the U.S. Congressional Oversight Committee. It was not pleasant for the new chief. From his testimony, there are a few important leadership lessons that can be learned for those wishing to dissect the exchange between him and the members of the committee. Regardless of the political biases… Read More »
[June 22, 2014] A long-developed theme here on the LeaderMaker.com has been the importance of learning from the failure of others. Learning from failure is a critical skill of leaders. It is so important that it ranks up there with the most important features of leadership. If we were to individually learn only from our mistakes, we would… Read More »
[June 20, 2014] Public confidence in the U.S. Congress is at an all-time low, according to a survey released yesterday by Gallup. Only seven percent of U.S. citizens said they have either a “great deal” (4%) or “quite a lot” (3%) of confidence in Congress. Of 17 institutions, Congress comes out last. In contrast, the U.S. military leads… Read More »
[June 18, 2014] In June of 1944 General Eisenhower made the final decision for the invasion of German-occupied France. This was the key event that led to the unraveling of Hitler’s European empire. Eisenhower’s command to go ashore in Normandy France has been called many things; but it cannot be said it was not decisive. It is a… Read More »