In the early spring of 2008 I was an Army Lieutenant Colonel preparing for command of a battalion (400 soldiers) of paratroopers. I attended the Army's Pre-Command course to prepare myself for what would be a hallmark assignment. I would lead this unit in Afghanistan the following year. At the Pre-Command course we were visited by several Army senior leaders who offered their thoughts and wisdom on battalion command. I was hungry to take the reins of my battalion and with each senior leader visit I was armed with a pen and notebook to gather pearls of wisdom. I wanted something useful - something I could put into practice to make myself and my unit better.
Read MoreTrust is the essential ingredient for a healthy relationship. Good leaders strive to form a bond of trust between them and their people. When trust is broken, often it cannot be repaired. I fired only a handful of leaders in my time in the Army. In each case, I had lost trust in them. Trust is gained as a relationship forms between leader and led. It occurs as the subordinate does the right thing far away from the leader following direction and when a leader gives autonomy and or comes to the defense of a subordinate. I believe real trust is formed away from work such as the break room, or at a company social event when two people come together to get to know each other and learn what motivates and demotivates each other.
Read MoreIt's September 11th, and it's time to remember. Lest we forget. Returning to horrific times like 9/11, the anniversary of the death of a loved one, or a significant failure in a team or business is hard to do. We naturally want to flush to those memories and focus instead on that which brings us peace, comfort, and joy. However, it is important to revisit tough times. Those times have something to offer us. They remind us of that which needs reminding. It is said that those who fail to remember or ignore history are doomed to repeat it. Very true.
Read MoreRest in peace Jimmy Buffett. I would not call my self a Parrothead - a die hard fan of Jimmy Buffet, though I do very much enjoy his songs. In my family I'm affectionately known as the "Spin Master." I'm the one who chooses the songs when we are gathered with family and friends. Jimmy Buffett is always in the cue. Like many passing artists, through recent encomiums and documentaries I've gained a deeper appreciation for Buffetts' body of work. And, of course, looking through the lens of leadership - influencing others, I arrive here, armed with the pen or keyboard in this case, ready to share what leaders do.
Read MoreOn Saturday, the 19th of August, 2023 I crashed on my BMW motorcycle near the Cherohala Skyway in mountains of Eastern Tennessee. I don't remember the crash but, given the damage to my riding gear and motorcycle, I believe the bike came out from underneath me on a sharp corner and I fell backwards hitting my head on the pavement. I was flown to a hospital in Knoxville, Tennessee where I learned I suffered broken bones to my nose, right shoulder, several ribs on my back, and some vertebrate. The breaks were minor enough that I was able to walk out of the hospital late Monday afternoon without a cast, brace, or sling. My recovery will be slow and steady but I'll be fine. So too will the businesses I own and run.
Read MoreThis week I was delivering one of my signature keynote addresses - "Leading by Investing in People," to a Chamber of Commerce leadership program. The audience was engaged and asked thoughtful questions. One question came from a younger leader who had several people in his charge older than him. He asked my advice on leading them. Here is what I shared.
Read More"I'm in the know." I heard that a lot in my military career. It meant having the required information to operate effectively or being up to date on a situation. Not everyone was in the know. There were the rank and file who performed tactical tasks waiting for the next set of orders and there were senior commanders who didn't need all of the information as they focused more on the bigger picture, strategy, and the future.
Read MoreAgatha Fry, she made a pie
And Christopher John helped bake it
Christopher John, he mowed the lawn
And Agatha Fry helped rake it
Read MoreA sign of a healthy workplace is when the employees feel safe busting on each other. I'm talking about good-hearted jabs at one another - humor which breaks up the monotony at work. Larry always thinks the sky is falling. Sarah can't stand it when there is a dirty coffee cup left in the kitchen sink. Ralph has the most awkward yet hilarious laugh, and Joanne seems to come to work each Monday with a new scratch or dent in her car. Mark drives notoriously slow and Cathy is Mrs. Impatient. You pick the quirk, it is these flaws which make us human and if we can have some respectful fun with each other at work, people will enjoy being there.
Read MoreI'm going to go out on a limb here and state that leaders should be empaths or at least have empath qualities. According to a professional article, "15 Signs You May Be An Empath," produced by Healthline, a health and wellness forum, an empath is someone who is highly attuned to the energies and emotions of those around them. Empaths are said to feel what others are feeling so deeply, they absorb or take on the emotions themselves the article states.
Read More"Walk by a problem without addressing it and you've created a new standard." I heard this often in my military career. This statement captured the essence of standards and discipline, something we strove for in order to perform at our best and keep soldiers alive in combat. While lives may not be at stake, this concept still applies in a private business. If you don't address the problem others will assume it is acceptable behavior. "Well the boss didn't say anything..." I'll take it a step further; If you don't address the problem, others will.
Read MoreHeard this term, whistle blow, lately? I bet you have and that's as far as I'm going politically with this blog. I'll focus instead on the concept of whistle blowing and opine on when one should do it. Whistle blowing, of course, doesn't involve blowing a whistle. It occurs in many ways, such as alerting the media, taking to social media, reporting to an investigating body, or even sending an email to a wide body of people, especially those with authority.
Read MoreEvery position in an organization is created (or should be) to address a problem. Every one. The CEO is created to solve the void of leadership. A COO is created to solve the problem of coordinating, planning, and operating. A CFO is created to solve the problem of financial mismanagement. The list goes on. In my small company of four people, I created a director of operations in part to fill the void of central operations but also to free me up to immerse in the community, networking and sharing our value proposition with people and companies, something I was not doing enough of. Why have you created the position you have in your organization?
Read MoreI was conversing once with Tony, a friend and leadership colleague, about core values and culture inside organizations - vitally important things to get right if you want to excel. Tony asked, rhetorically, "what gets someone voted off the island." This phrase, coined from the reality TV show, Survivor, has become somewhat pop culture as a saying used in a variety of ways. In our case, Tony asked it as a thought-provoking question to force a leader and their team to consider deeply, what values, and beliefs a group should subscribe to and honor.
Read MoreAutonomy is a wonderful thing - a requirement I submit, for the fulfillment of people. Autonomy is part of my "List of Six" desires of people in the workplace, described in my first book, "It's Personal, Not Personnel." Indeed there are some who seek constant guidance and don't mind frequent oversight, but most want space, freedom, and even time to do their jobs. They do not want to be micromanaged. Merriam Webster defines autonomy as the quality or state of being self-governing or self-directing freedom and especially moral independence. I aim for almost total autonomy but I do not rush to it.
Read MoreYears ago, while serving in the Army at Fort Lewis, Washington as an aide to a general, we had a large field exercise. Fort Lewis, being in the Pacific Northwest was known for its inclement weather. The clouds would drift over the coastal mountains and hover over the Puget Sound. In short, it rained a lot. This field exercise was conducted in a large operation center housed in a series of tents connected together. Separate tents posed a problem as the rain would find its way in and harm the delicate computer systems and electricity powering the lighting. To overcome this, leaders laid down pallets and hung waterproof gutters through out the structure to steer the water away from computers, electrical outlets, and people. I heard one leader call it "water management," and I still remember it.
It's that time of year - children out of school and the warm weather of summer when people take vacations from work. In the U.S. Army we called vacations leave. One had to seek approval for them. They were documented and soldiers signed out and back in from their time off. I always felt guilty taking leave, probably because of my loyalty to my unit and my boss but also because I had some leaders who made me feel guilty. I witnessed several leaders who took little leave or who even came into work while on leave. I never wanted to make my people feel guilty about taking leave or vacation. Often I would urge them to do so because I knew of the importance of time off.
Read MoreOn the morning of July 3rd 2023, I get a text message from Michael, a fellow veteran who I have met formally but do not know deeply. Michael was on the other side of the country in Eastern Tennessee where I live, work, and play. On that day I was in Santa Barbara, California vacationing with family enjoying an early morning stroll through a suburb neighborhood. Normally I would have responded that I’m out of town or waited until I returned to respond, but this text was different. It read, “veteran in crisis…” I called Michael immediately.
Read MoreWhat do you do when things go wrong? Do you stomp around angry and ranting? Do you fall silent in disappointment or silent anger? Do you turn your back and attempt to ignore what went wrong? Do you look for a person or people to blame? If this is your approach, you're fixing nothing. I would submit you are only fostering failure.
Read MoreMeet Mortimer Bartholomew, a fitting name for the single point of failure. He was given this name because everything had to go through his inbox before leaving the organization destined for a higher headquarters. Thus everything due to a higher headquarters or another agency became delayed as he poured through every detail before releasing it. I've given him a different name but he was real and he earned this title.
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