Posts in the ‘Leadership My Dad’s Way’ category
The reward for leadership is the opportunity to make more sacrifices. I see many talented people become disillusioned leaders because they are not prepared for this fact. I attended the National Council On Culture and Leadership Annual Summit (NCCL Website) last week and heard a fellow West Point graduate Steve Ingalls describe the sacrifices we […]
Early in my leadership career in Corporate America, I followed the pack. I did what others did. I remember watching my sales manager lead a certain way, and I emulated what he had done. Unfortunately by following what was commonly done, my teams consistently had very common results. Like many people, being common was never […]
Trust in a relationship, whether it is at work or at home, is the foundation to the success of that relationship. Without trust between individuals or on a team, mediocrity and failure are the most likely results. I have worked for people who told me I had to earn their trust. I have worked in […]
There are High Maintenance People and there are Low Maintenance People. The High Maintenance People wear me out. I like Low Maintenance People! I believe you can have teams that are High Maintenance and teams that are Low Maintenance. I have led both types of teams. Again, I like Low Maintenance Teams! What does a Low […]
Lead, Follow AND Get Out of The Way! The famous bumper sticker actually reads Lead, Follow OR Get Out of The Way. But, for leaders the proper statement needs the AND instead of the OR. For most people placed into leadership the call to lead is obvious. This is a no-brainer. A teacher’s job is […]
“That’s not going to work.” Every time my most experienced people said this, I cringed. I had a team with eight veterans and four rookies. I soon realized that our team’s experience was killing innovation. Each time a veteran spoke, it hurt us or helped us. Experience kept us from moving forward into new territory. […]
I believe leadership is inherently a positive term. Some well known experts whom I respect define leadership as influence, or influence towards a common objective. However, I believe these definitions do not go far enough. In my mind, being a leader is a positive statement. There is a moral component to leadership. Leadership is not […]
Ownership or excuses. One is the mark of a leader. The other is a sign that I am bound for mediocrity and failure. In the long run, people who make excuses stall out. Making excuses is a habit. I wrote about how West Point deals with this habit in West Point: How Leaders Seize Accountability. […]
My un-resume is my list of screw-ups. They are things I am not proud of. Periodically I share my un-resume with the world. Most people who speak and consult on leadership are sure to present their successes to their clients. I’m doing something different. Yes, I’ve had success through the years and received awards and […]
The death of a good idea is a tragedy. Many individuals bring forward great ideas only to see them assaulted by three different assassins. I have watched the assaults and done nothing. Yet, I wondered why my team was stagnating and not moving forward. I was asleep at the wheel. These assassins were individuals, groups […]
