It was customary in the Army to move from unit to unit - each one with its own rich history, identifying patch, and motto. We would 'soldier' in each one of them - 'soldier' meaning to do the rigorous work morning and night, laboring and sweating, and challenging oneself and others to be their very best in the name of the unit. We committed ourselves fully to each of these units we were in, repeating their motto and singing their song - "Oh yea, I was in the 505th! H-minus!"
Read MoreTwo years of my 27-year military career - 2008-2010 were spent in Alaska. It was a hallmark assignment for me, commanding a cavalry squadron of about 400 men and women - paratroopers. I would prepare the unit for combat and deploy it to Afghanistan during the surge of forces under Operation Enduring Freedom in 2009. I share some of this story in my upcoming book, "Left and Right of the Boom. The Art of Leadership, Before, During, and After Crisis." Stay tuned! Left behind while we fought on the other side of the globe in the mountains of Afghanistan, were numerous families agonizing over our wellbeing and keeping us connected to the them, our families, and the world through mail and emails. They were led by these amazing women pictured above.
Read MoreFrom a confused look to a clear set of verbal instructions, we communicate all day, every day in a variety of ways. George Bernard Shaw, an Irish playwright, critic, and political activist famously stated, "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." I love this quote as it forces me to examine what I have communicated and how it may have been received, if at all. As a leader, I have this internal voice which whispers to me, "answer the question," "seek or demonstrate acknowledgement," or "don't hit send yet." This voice is the discipline instilled in me in my Army training, for if my messages were not received - if I failed to communicate clearly, disaster could occur. Don't hit send yet.
Read MoreWe make decisions every day, all day, and while these decisions have consequences, most are small. When we were young, especially in our teens, we yearned for authority and autonomy. We have authority as adults save for laws and what rules we comply with at work. What authority do your people have?
Read MoreSam approached me and handed me the white paper he produced in preparation for my meeting with the board on Monday. Sam is a great teammate. We've been together almost four years. He is a father of three boys, two of which are deep into the school baseball season. He and I have a work relationship built on trust and mutual respect. You could say that Sam and I function very efficiently together - often knowing what the other needs and is thinking by just a glance. Sam is more efficient than I. He can take my guidance and deliver analysis or a product of high quality faster than I can. I bring experience, patience, and strategic perspective to our work relationship. It is rare when I have had to fix or change anything he produced.
Read MoreSua Sponte, defined in Wikipedia, is a latin phrase for, "of his or her own accord or on one's own behalf." Used often in legal or court language it means, "an act or authority taken without formal prompting from another party." In the U.S. Army, Sua Sponte is the motto of the 75th Ranger Regiment, a small, elite unit of highly trained soldiers, all qualified as rangers and paratroopers. Rangers accomplish tasks with little or no prompting. They don't sit idle waiting to be told what to do. In leadership, Sua Sponte is when the leader makes a decision without the input of the group or prompting or authorization from a higher authority. "I Sua Sponte'd," I often heard leaders state when they acted in such a way.
Read MoreAhh meetings... We love them, we hate them. Single panel comics and television shows such as "The Office" make fun of them, yet they are an essential part of any organized group of people gathered in support of a mission like sports teams or companies. Some meetings are formal with presentations, some are quick, informal sessions like when a sports team huddles during a time out. All require an agenda.
Read MoreToday, March 29th, is National Vietnam War Veterans Day. I once heard a former boss and mentor of mine - a Vietnam veteran himself, honor the veterans of World War II by saying, "we (meaning his generation of veterans) stand on your shoulders." I've used the the same line when honoring Vietnam Veterans. My generation - the post 9/11 generation who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, does indeed, stand on the shoulders of the veterans of Vietnam.
Read MoreI've noted that I've enjoyed 0% turnover in my small businesses but I must clarify. I have had employee turnover but I'm the one who turned them over - meaning I fired them. I'm not in the business of hiring and firing people as a hobby. I take it very seriously, as any leader should. I know I'm dealing with someone's livelihood. The ones I have released were not aligned with our culture and values or I had lost trust in them - sound reasons to remove an employee. Moreover, I take ownership in the failures of these employees. I should have picked up on their flaws in the interview and onboarding process.
Read MoreThere is no such thing as a completely confident leader. There may be leaders who have huge egos and think they know it all but, I promise, they have internal struggles such as insecurity. As leaders, we strive for greater confidence. I coach leaders toward that end, yet I caution that they will never reach the mountain top of confidence. I point them in the opposite direction - down, deep inside them where there exists a reservoir of confidence - a place they can visit and dip into when needed. Too many are unaware it's there.
Read MoreJob Descriptions. Most every working person has one. They are indeed a requirement if you are to employ a person. After all, what are you hiring a person to do? Why is that position needed in a company? What problem does it solve and what strengths, skills, attributes, and character should the person filling it possess? Deep thought and analysis ought to be given to those questions before an organization creates a job description or JD.
Read MoreEffective communication remains one of the greatest challenges in leadership. George Bernard Shaw states, "the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." Leaders and their subordinates are not mind-readers. Many leaders do not communicate as effectively as they should. I remember as an Army officer, "work on communicating," was an oft-used critique in evaluation reports. Few could challenge it. To the day I work on communicating. There are times I nail it and times I miss it. However I communicate - by email, text, verbally, or nonverbally, to name a few, I yearn for acknowledgement. It comes from my military training. It was vitally important that my orders were understood and carried out. Lives were at stake and our military training drilled us on sending and receiving orders - on gaining acknowledgement in the toughest environments.
Read MoreI have done my share of convincing or attempting to convince in my decades of leading and even today as I sell high-end products in one of my businesses. I've got the scars to prove it. I do indeed do my homework before convincing another. That is to say, I'll engage in introspection, map out my idea, and or bounce my idea or argument off a trusted colleague or mentor. Often I've won the day. I don't see it as a victory for myself, rather, a win for the organization writ large. I believe, in most cases, aside from attempting to convince a boss you deserve to advance, it is a dangerous proposition to convince another for the sole benefit of yourself. Leaders should always keep the greater team at the fore. Leadership is influence after all, therefore leaders should do a lot of convincing. Sometimes, however, the one leaders are convincing - superior or subordinate, has their mind made up.
Read More"It's lonely at the top." I've heard that said about leadership. Indeed, I've felt it. Leaders are placed on top of teams and organizations due, among other things, to their experience, ability, and character. In the Army, male commanders are often referred to as, "the old man," the elder of the group who has the experience and authority. While the 'boss' may not be older than the rest, he or she occupies a position which requires them to make decisions which impact each person and the trajectory of the organization. This is why it is so important to pick the right person to place in the role.
Read MoreTrust lies at the core of any successful relationship and company. Do you have it? Trusting leaders surround themselves with men and women of character. They then form and foster relationships with them, developing a firm belief in them to do things, to have things, and to see things. It is hard but worthwhile work if you desire the best of your people.
Read More"She/He unfriended me." By now we have all heard this. Perhaps a person had an argument with another or posted something which offended. One or both of the parties gently swiped their thumb, clicked on the button and poof, person X is eliminated from their feed! I think it's stupid. Forgive me for being so blunt but I, for one, think the act of un_____ in and of itself accomplishes little to nothing. Mostly I believe it's cheap and cowardly. I might be on a rant here. Don't un____ me. I'll offer something.
Read MoreI've heard the term 'hard conversation' used when talking about leadership and culture in a company. Indeed hard conversations must be had but few really understand how to have them. Hard conversations run the spectrum - not having them at all, to overly soft, to way too harsh. I'm a firm believer in the softer approach to leadership. I used the harsh approach as a young officer in the Army and it was ineffective. Yelling, especially in today's environment, will only result in fight or flight. All is lost when that occurs. Take a softer approach.
Read MoreI was speaking this week to a small group of aspiring leaders about investing in people. One person asked how to convince her boss to fund some external coaching for her people. "The boss has to be on board." I stated. "If he or she is not, your idea may be doomed." I'm in the business of coaching, training, and speaking professionally and I've always known, if the boss is not on board, I cannot deliver what needs to be delivered. My offerings are difficult to sell because it is hard for me to tie what I do to an increase in revenue. Indeed, I clearly understand the value proposition - strong leadership, strong performing company, yet many 'bosses' want to see the numbers. "I pay X and my return on that investment will be X." I am able to make a big difference with leaders and teams and there are subordinate leaders with fantastic ideas but it sure helps when the person at the top is a believer.
Read MoreI tried to explain ownership to a non-veteran the other day. It didn't sink in. This is not at all to say that all non-veterans fail to grasp the concept of ownership. Indeed, many do, but the moment gave me pause. I've been thinking about it since. The non-veteran I was talking to described a scenario where she was the leader of a group and placed in charge of seeing a project through. One of the members underestimated how much material would be needed for the project so more needed to be acquired on the spot to finish the job. The project may have missed its deadline because of this. She blamed the individual tasked with gathering the materials. Hmmm.
Read MoreIt is said that dogs are here on this earth to teach us things. I've always believed that but in a more spiritual sense. The statement became reality this week as we lost our black Labrador Retriever, Duncan. He fell victim to Lyme disease, which led to the failure of his kidneys. We were forced to make a tormenting decision to have him euthanized. Dogs do indeed teach us things. God created them as messengers and trainers - as shining examples of purity and goodness. Duncan was only seven, taken from us far too early. His death has left a void in our lives - a void which visits us now and then from sunrise to sunset. He was a wonderful dog.
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