[November 20, 2013] Today I’m speaking to veterans who are beginning their college experience. The message is simple – with passion, adaptability, and some basic college skills, they will succeed. Senior leaders have the responsibility to help improve the success rate of our veterans; we owe them at least this much. The success rate of veterans in college… Read More »
[November 17, 2013] Training leaders in the basic principles of leadership always includes the subject of good communication techniques and the challenges associated with this topic. Probably the most important aspect of communication that any leader can do is to explain why big decisions are made. This simple articulation of the leader’s decision logic helps prevent employees, and… Read More »
[November 09, 2013] Judgment is the essence of leadership. The ability of first-class leaders to make good judgments and the cumulative impact of those judgments will determine the quality, effectiveness, and success of the leaders’ organizations. The exercise of good judgment in the workplace is the special quality sought in leaders of all kinds. In particular, this is… Read More »
[November 04, 2013] The best way to deal with a crisis is to simply be prepared. Planning, resourcing, rehearsing, organizing, and placing the right people on the job is key. The upside? Lives and property are saved and organizations survive. The downside? It detracts from other priorities and is expensive. It is difficult to replicate crises experiences but… Read More »
[November 01, 2013] We all want our leaders to be problem solvers and overcome all obstacles. Fundamentally, relevant experience is what makes this possible. While experience is necessary for all leaders, our most senior leaders need a broader array of experiences. Senior executive leaders should have the experience of sufficient moral preparation to stay right, to act quickly… Read More »
[October 27, 2013] Good leaders are not defined by any one temperament. Leaders come with a variety of temperaments that may change depending upon the circumstances that are needed to produce a particular set of results. There are times when situations demand that the leader have a cool and stable temperament. The most obvious is that of a… Read More »
[October 23, 2013] The Battle of Leyte Gulf, formerly known as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea, is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of WWII and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history. Today I’m honoring those who fought so valiantly in this most important naval battle. Also, happy belated birthday… Read More »
[October 20, 2013] Every decision that leaders make involves some level of bias. The problem is not that there is bias, a natural function, but that some biases in decision-making and employee affairs can lead to an incorrect judgment, unfounded conclusions, and uncertainty. Senior leaders are interested in both mission accomplishment and taking care of their employees. Therefore,… Read More »
[October 18, 2013] The photograph is of the crew of the Boeing B-17 “The Memphis Belle.” During WWII, lead by Captain Robert Morgan, the crew flew 29 missions altogether, 25 in this aircraft. I was fortunate to meet retired Colonel Robert Morgan nearly two decades ago and to hear of the exploits of his crew and the combat… Read More »
[October 17, 2013] Unpredictable major events, good or bad, that have a major effect on people, organizations, or society are often justified as destiny after their occurrence. While we cannot predict such events, we can certainly put into place mechanisms that prepare us better to take advantage of them. Taleb called these events “Black Swans.”1 The Honorable Donald… Read More »