Posts in the ‘Leadership My Dad’s Way’ category
Why doesn’t my team act like a team? Why am I always dealing with politics, bad attitudes, and distrust among team members? Why haven’t we come close to reaching our potential? I am always putting out fires. I never seem to have time to focus on bigger issues. The day-to-day tyranny of the urgent seems […]
There was always a lot of talk, but there was rarely any progress. I was worn out at the end of every meeting. The leadership team was stuck. Therefore the whole company was stuck. Leadership through risk avoidance inspires nobody! If a leader wants to have committed followers, the leader must be willing to take […]
Do you want a “me first” team? Do you want a team filled with politics and positioning? Do you want a team that does the minimum necessary? Few of us want a work culture like this. The word culture is derived from the middle English word cultivation. When I work with teams, I see the […]
Ask a veteran why they served and you will likely hear the word Duty in the explanation. The concept of Duty still runs deep in military circles. Many people use the word Duty to describe the list of tasks in a job description. But the idea of Duty goes well beyond a “to do list.” Duty seems […]
“Sorry. It’s policy.” This comment may be true, but it can also be a sign of a weak leader. Policies are not perfect – especially personnel policies. Leaders need to be willing to stand up and fight when needed. Most companies have personnel policies, and the larger the company the more rigid the policies usually […]
Be careful following a leader just because he has gray hair. The tenure or the age of a leader does not always signal wisdom. Here is the question: Is the leader growing in wisdom or growing in fear? A lot of people let the past keep them from moving forward. But when a leader is […]
Business magazines publish article after article discussing a company’s culture. The articles often focus on perks, the color of the office walls, or the fact there is a ping pong table where the conference table used to be. Who cares! I don’t care that I get to play ping pong at work if I can’t […]
When meat is marinated, it is soaked in a marinade for an extended period of time. The marinade sauce penetrates into the meat and not only keeps the meat moist and edible when it is placed over a fire, but it also changes the flavor of the meat. That flavor is maintained during the cooking […]
“Argue with me.” He said it, AND he meant it. As I watched this leader invite his team to tear down his idea, I was astonished, inspired and humbled. Astonished: Because I had never seen a leader so readily open to criticism from the people he led. Inspired: Because I watched his team argue passionately […]
There was an upperclassman at West Point who I was sure was the worst leader I had ever met. Then I met a commander in the Army that jumped to the top of the list. But, it was not until I hit the corporate world that I met someone who, to this day, ranks at […]
