Merriam Webster took me on an odyssey to get to a definition of leadership. I seem to remember being taught in school to not use the root of a word to define that word. Someone should have told Merriam that! Merriam Webster Says: Definition of LEADERSHIP 1: the office or position of a leader 2: […]
Leadership is a blend of competence and character. BG (Retired) Jim Anderson, my father, taught me that. In 41 years in the Army, including two tours in Vietnam, he saw a lot of great leaders and a lot of leadership failures that formed his philosophy. I started this website with this post. I have learned […]
“What leadership book have you ever read that states, ‘A leader does what is right unless it will cost him personally.’” There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. It was not the empathetic answer Stan was looking for. The question: “What can I do? She’s my boss.”
Cowardice and courage are obvious before and during battle. In 1991, I witnessed another 1st Lieutenant back out of mission that I later volunteered for as a result of his cowardice. In another part of the battlefield, I had a friend dismount from his tank and walk his platoon through a minefield while under enemy […]
Facing us is the River of Fear, made deep and wide by our hesitations, timidity, doubts, and paralysis. Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities…because it is the quality which guarantees all others. – Winston Churchill Other than the words in this paragraph, this entire blog is taken directly from the introduction to […]
“You are one of my projects. I want to help you and teach you some of the things I’ve learned the hard way.” Mitchel took a drink of his beer, looked at me, nodded and thanked me. I had just transferred to a new geography. Mitchel and I were peers. The only difference was I […]
Recently, I spoke with a friend who decided he needed a change. He has been very successful in his industry for more than a decade. But, what was once a passion has become a J. O. B. Statistics show he is not alone. Gallup’s engagement data tells us that 70% of American’s are disengaged at […]
Self-awareness sounds like some new age, kumbaya, talk show topic. As an aspiring man’s man, my low sensitivity level has not always allowed me to consider things like self-awareness. But, obviously I have or I would not have been able to write that last sentence… Self-awareness is a critical element for the success of a […]
What is the biggest leadership issue you are facing? Is it with a coworker, a subordinate or with a boss? Please take the time to send me a topic you would like me to write about or research. I tend to write about what I would like to hear about. What about you?
The grizzled veteran manager proudly declared, “My top priority is to take care of my team.” It sounded like I found a kindred spirit. I believe the leader’s job should be centered on his people. But what I had discovered was a selfish, hard headed and insecure man. Over time, I learned he was not […]
