Under what appears to be a never-ending pandemic, we find ourselves and our companies in unprecedented times rich with challenges. People are leaving organizations for other opportunities. Families are relocating closer to parents and to more desired destinations under the work from home surge. Employees are nearly impossible to find and restrictions on social gatherings and the 'vax or no vax' debate and its implications are in full swing. Some products and services are unavailable, more expensive or under longer wait times. This drastic change and its associated challenges are testing leadership. Will we return to some former state or are we under a new normal?

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or DEI is the new acronym for today's workplace, the goal being to build teams and create environments which exemplify DEI. I'm a fan. The best teams I was a part of were good (not perfect) examples of DEI. Perfection in DEI is impossible. When you unpack the diversity part of the equation, you'll notice the first flaws. There are simply too many diversity categories and it is impossible to meet them all. This obstacle notwithstanding, leaders ought to strive for DEI. Today's workforce demands and deserves it.

Attracting, hiring and retaining talent is a massive challenge these days. I'm not entirely sure of the reason and causes but I do know several companies are struggling greatly to find people. Some have been forced to shrink or adjust their offerings as a result. Healthcare, the trade professions and transportation (among others) have been hit hard. Some are taking extreme measures offering salaries they can barely afford and or bonuses to attract new talent. Some have become desperate, hiring anyone who comes through the door. But while the hiring landscape has changed, company approaches to hiring have not.

Cheese cloth is a gauze-like material which allows unneeded moisture to escape leaving solid cheese behind. Ok that sounds gross doesn't it? Here's the analogy. Most emails, in their original form contain useless words, phrases, sentences and emotions which should be discarded.

Last week following a speech I gave, a older man approached me with his wife. He wanted to thank me and offer his compliments. In the speech I shared a story from Afghanistan. He told me he had served in Vietnam. I placed my hand on his shoulder, looked him in the eye and thanked him. He began to cry. I'm not sure he was ever thanked before. Vietnam veterans were not thanked for what they did and I have always considered that a national shame. I wanted to do my part and right the wrong. I told him that what he did mattered. He mattered and his nation was grateful. It was a moving moment for both of us amidst the aftermath of Afghanistan.

A former boss and mentor of mine used this line often. He was referring to the bravado a leader would display which only served him or herself. For instance, an Army leader might be able to maintain a 6-minute pace on a 3 mile run without breaking a sweat. While impressive, it doesn't mean the soldiers they commanded could do the same. A leader would lose a lot of people in humiliation leading a run at that pace. Furthermore, this approach would never achieve the true goal of helping an individual increase their running pace. That took gradual training. This was poor leadership.

I continue to watch — with bewilderment, anger, and sadness — the aftermath of our 20-year war in Afghanistan. Long after my own time on the ground in Afghanistan and years since retiring from the Army, I’m still immersed — heart and mind — in this war. In recent weeks, I’ve found that I’m reading more and watching more about the war, the country, and the world’s reaction. Doing so is a complicated emotional venture. Consuming all the news stories and social media content have helped me to process my thoughts and validate (or challenge) my perspectives ... but I’m not sure if it’s really helping.

A former boss of mine presented this concept of weak words to me and, to this day I cannot shake it. They are words like think, try, and may. When I use these words my inner voice tries to correct me. Weak words are too cautions and not direct enough. They do not project confidence. Here are some examples.

Hard to believe it has been 20 years since the terrorist attacks on America on September 11th, 2001. This year 9/11 will occur on a Saturday but I wanted to share my thoughts and offer ways to address this historical event in the workplace. While today's younger generation were babies, or not even born when 9/11 occurred, it is still important to pause, reflect and remember this significant day. Recent events in Afghanistan and the press coverage this year's anniversary is getting will be constant reminders for them but what can a leader do in the workplace?

Doubt in one's decisions is a natural thing in leadership. So too should be growth and adaptation to ever-changing environments. What worked yesterday may be irrelevant today. Leaders of character take note of changing conditions and personal growth and know when and how to change their minds. They also have the humility to admit they were wrong and change course. Subordinates mostly align with their boss, supporting his or her decisions and beliefs but when things are going wrong, this obedience can be destructive.

This subject line is one of my soundbites for the current fiasco underway in Afghanistan. Again, I'll avoid the political banter which is unhealthy, especially as we morn the fallen and return to leadership. I've used this phrase before as a way to tell my organization that I still believed in it and its people. I used it on individuals to reinforce my trust in them.Failure is always tough and when it happens, especially on a grand scale and it really tests leadership. Those who become irate and emotional can really destroy morale, even cause permanent damage. People may be reluctant to try new, innovative ideas or do anything risky. They may even avoid delivering bad news. Focusing on blame and holding a grudge is only a move backward. We must help our people and organizations move forward in growth.

A train wreck it is. Like many veterans and Americans, I watch the unraveling of Afghanistan with horror, disappointment, anger, and several other emotions from a man and his family who poured their heart and soul into a country, a mission, and the soldiers and families with whom we served. I’ve turned to the pen to help me process this and to do what I believe to be my civic duty; share insight from our failures so that we may never repeat them. There is more for me to do, I’m certain, but I’ll start here.

Watched any press conferences lately? I can barely tolerate them. Between failure to admit fault, passing the buck, and trying to spin a positive narrative, we are seeing what wrong looks like. here I am, drifting dangerously close to politics and you can probably sense my anger. Let's return to leadership shall we? We can leverage some leadership lessons from what we are seeing.

Many of us have experienced poor leadership in our days but what is truly toxic? As a man who likes to define things I found this in Wikipedia. "The leadership style of toxic leaders is both personally self-destructive and ultimately corporately harmful - as they subvert and destroy organizational structures."

A bad boss may just be weak in certain areas like communicating, delegating, or having the courage to stand up for what is right or for one of their people. They may lack experience as many leaders do. They may also be working under very demanding leadership which influences how they lead. The difference between a toxic leader and a bad boss boils down to intent. What is driving a leader to behave the way they are? Is there malice or forethought behind bad behavior? Is there a trend of bad behavior? Is it destructive or just a nuisance? It is important to know.

This is a question many leaders struggle with. My answer is, "more than you think." On the surface it may look like people are at their maximum capacity but you’ll find unused energy when you dig deeper. In a previous blog titled, “you are busy, your people are not.” I highlight a leader’s inability to distribute the workload. It centers around failure to delegate. Leaders fail to delegate for a few reasons.

Finishing off a string of blogs this week which relate to the current catastrophe in Afghanistan, this one addresses strategy, something we were missing. Most every organization exists for some long-term goal. Even in an infinite game, described very well by Simon Sinek, an organization is trying to get somewhere. Without a guiding beacon like a vision it will be a rudderless ship at sea. A vision is a visual depiction of an organization in a future state achieving its purpose to the best of its ability. It is supported by strategy.

Recall my last blog, "Start with starting with the ending in mind." It applies to this subject. What would there be to gain by talking negatively about a previous leader or leadership team? What positive outcome might come from that? What would a new leader hope to accomplish by placing blame on previous leadership for a problem which occurred under his or her watch? The answer is nothing. It is completely unnecessary and inappropriate for several reasons. Look no further than political leadership if you want concrete examples of this. I'll leave it at that.

"Tell me how this ends." This famous line was uttered by then Major General (2-Star) David Petraeus as an Army division commander in Iraq in 2003. A student of military history, specifically Vietnam, he knew all too well that wars are relatively easy to start but near impossible to end. The question remained unanswered for years. As we bear witness to the unraveling in Afghanistan I thought it appropriate to blog about this important operational and leadership approach. I've spent the previous week thinking and writing about this war and our failures and I'll share my thoughts on another medium.

My wife and I were out to dinner one evening with some good friends enjoying a few beers and a nice dinner. My friend Mike asked if I knew how to Italian arm wrestle. "No," I said. I had not heard of it. He placed his elbow on the table, made a fist and told me to pull it downward using my hand. The challenge, as in a regular arm wrestle, seemed to be a test of strength. Could he hold his arm up against my force? He couldn't. I won. It felt pretty good actually. My ego was fed. I was the victor!

An ambassador is a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity or organization. Ambassadors in foreign countries are representatives of the President who are stewards of the United States and its interests. Ambassadors speak for and champion the needs of their nation, activity or organization. You have ambassadors in your own company.