Posts in the ‘Leadership My Dad’s Way’ category
I had a dream that I worked for a company that got rid of it’s Human Resources Department. There were no more HR manuals or HR classes. This was not a result of ineffective HR professionals. They just weren’t needed in that company. Was this heaven? No. It was a dream. But, after rereading John […]
Love Works. Seven Timeless Principles For Effective Leaders by Joel Manby has a title that may turn off some people who believe the words Love and Work should never meet in the workplace. Joel Manby put his money where his mouth is on CBS’s hit show, Undercover Boss. He creating a sensation when he exposed […]
I just returned from my 25 year West Point reunion. It was great to be with friends who went through the same trials and tribulations I did in order to graduate from America’s premier leadership development school. A few quick impressions: Those guys looked old! We aren’t losing our hair. We are gaining forehead. West […]
My baby boy did not begin walking on his first try. He took a step and fell. He pulled himself up and tried again, and he fell. He repeated this over and over until he successfully navigated the family room. There was no fear in him then, just determination. Now he runs sprints at practice […]
“No excuse, sir.” Of the four approved responses a West Point plebe may use, this one was hardest for me to say. But, everything we did at West Point had a purpose. The purpose of teaching 18 year olds not to make excuses actually fulfills West Point’s purpose: To provide our nation with leaders of […]
I’ve been that guy. I wanted everything to run smoothly so I would do as Nancy Reagan did and “Just Say No.” Years later, in my rearview mirror, I realize by saying “No” too quickly, I damaged my team and the individuals on my team. I missed opportunities to develop better decision makers and therefore […]
Painful Tests = “Someone is going to get hurt.” In a nutshell: Inflicting pain on myself or someone else is a test of character and courage. There are some decisions I make in leadership, I know are going to hurt. They may hurt me, or they may hurt others. In these situations, it may not […]
As a leader, one of my biggest mistakes was believing I should treat everyone equally. This is a societal fallacy that has moved into HR driven management training. In fact, treating people equally is management not leadership. Treating all people equally is a management strategy that is meant to prevent litigation. It is a strategy […]
All real growth comes from mistakes. My son did not go from crawling to running a few months later without falling down. When he learned to walk, he fell after one step and got back up. He fell after 2 steps and got back up again. This pattern continued until he was running full speed […]
West Point. While many schools have impressive graduates. Few colleges can claim to have a greater impact on our nation than the United States Military Academy at West Point. The leaders of character that West Point continues to produce will continue to write the history of our nation. For July 4th, I provide you with […]
