I've always said, if you want to attack the U.S. Army at its most unorganized and vulnerable state, attack it on a Monday morning. Nobody has their act together. Try leading during this moment where everyone is still in vacation mode or the anxiety of work stress kicks in again - where last week's tasks are long forgotten and people are off their game. Here are some thoughts as you unlock the doors, turn on the lights or dust off your virtual meeting skills.

Have you ever had one of those leaders? "That dog aint gonna hunt!" "Let's bake this into the plan." "Put some meat on the bone." As a writer and a speaker, I use wordplay but I do so cautiously, especially when leading a group of people. I usually follow wordplay with some descriptors of what I am talking about so I can 'paint a clearer picture' (there's some wordplay!). While wordplay can be effective in making salient points, it can lead to confusion, especially if overused. I had a leader once who I respected but who used "bottom line" several times when speaking. It was hard to determine what was truly the bottom line. When a leader is older and more experienced, those in his or her charge may struggle to keep up amidst a sea of wordplay.

You know I'm a definition guy. It helps me start from a point of clarity (see my first book). Wikipedia does a perfect job of defining the executive summary. "a short document or section of a document produced for business purposes. It summarizes a longer report or proposal or a group of related reports in such a way that readers can rapidly become acquainted with a large body of material without having to read it all." Read more here.

The statement, "I've already tried that," is typically associated with a problem a person is addressing. When I hear, "I'm doing (or done) that already," or "I've already tried that," it starts me to wondering; "Why is it still a problem then?" Or I wonder if the person is not listening or being defensive. There is danger contained in this statement and its related thought process. One should pause and think about why they are saying it.

At this moment in 1918, the armistice (end of fighting) went into effect for World War I. Armistice Day as it was originally named would later become Veteran's day. And while we always honor the fallen, Veterans Day is more about the living. It is a chance to recognize those who defend and defended our nation whether combat veteran or not. Aside from husband and father, veteran is one of my proudest titles. It means I have membership among a small group of some of the best men and women, spouses and families our nation has to offer.

Does this scenario sound familiar? One of your people notoriously shows up late, misses a deadline on a reoccurring report, gets too emotional on emails or office chat applications, or seems too timid to speak up and contribute to the group.

I bet it does. I'm sure you have your own scenario but how then, do you influence your people to grow, learn and fix their deficiency? Unfortunately, I've seen too many leaders get this wrong. They either let the failing go unchecked, fix it themselves, or go right for the jugular, "Andy stop showing up late!" Believe me, I was in that camp once but thankfully superiors and subordinates alike taught me a better way to influence. Here it is.

Trust lies as the core of effective leadership. Without it, an organization slows to the point of dysfunction or implodes altogether. Good leaders work hard to build and foster trusting relationships as they speed through daily operations and business growth. This is especially true (and vitally important) in today's work from home environment. As Steven Covey states, "When people trust each other they're more likely to take risks together, see greater opportunities, and respond to change in smart and coordinated ways." Trust is fragile. It requires constant nurturing. Unfortunately, there are other forces at play which, if left alone, can erode a healthy foundation of trust.

I'll get right to it. It is between 5 and 7 people. Any more than 7 the scale begins to tip and the quality of leadership begins to diminish. I would say 5 is an optimal span of control for a leader. Span of control, span of management, or direct reports represent the people a leader is directly responsible for. There can be no sharing of leadership (more on that in a future blog) where one person reports directly (and equally) to two people. Don't let that happen in your organization. It will cause problems, mostly for the individual. When people look up they ought to see one person who is the one who cares for them, grows them, and leads them. It's why span of control is so important.

Happy Halloween and welcome to the haunted house. Brave enough to enter and walk through its dark and damp hallways, dusty spiderweb covered rooms, and dark corners? Instead of ghoulish hosts with fangs and creatures emerging from dark corners, you'll encounter the group who is worn down, looking for respite, the late or indifferent attendee, the question you don't have the answer to and fear of making a decision. This time mom or dad is not close by to grab hold of. You're on your own and the echos inside this chamber are terrifying.

When a leader uses "got that T-shirt," or versions like it, such as, "I've done this before," or "I know how you feel," they are equating their experience with that of a subordinate. "Don't be that guy," leveraging yet another quote, this one from the 1994 movie PCU. "You're gonna wear the shirt of the band your are gonna go see? Don't be that guy." Here is the YouTube link. And with that last set of quotations, I believe I've used up my daily allocation. I digress.

"Don't let this stuff overwhelm you, the Army is run by idiots." My first company commander shared that with me in 1991. He was partially joking. There were some great Army leaders above us, but also, like any organization, some lunkheads. He was using that line to ease my mind as I took command of my first platoon. My line today is, "There are some real buffoons running businesses. Many of them are sitting on top of millions or billions of dollars." I use it when coaching a leader lacking confidence, intimidated by his or her leadership and when promoting entrepreneurship.

Today's blog is a tribute to a great American soldier and statesman, Army General and Secretary of State Colin Powell. My social media feeds are blowing up with personal tributes to him, a testament to his character, example and impact. He'll be forever remembered as the epitome of an officer and a gentleman. He may be gone but his rich legacy of national service and leadership will live on. Part of that legacy is his "Thirteen Rules of Leadership." Here is a link. #1 is the one which stuck with me since my earliest days as an Army officer. "It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning." There is so much truth and practical wisdom packed into that statement. I returned to it often in leadership and even in family crisis. It offers a few critically important leadership lessons to emulate.

Another way to ask this question is, what is your logic style? Your logic style indicates the approach you take (and prefer others take) to make decisions - classic left brain, right brain stuff. Here is one way which will tell you which camp you may be in. Which of these two statements is the one you would prefer to hear?

1. "I feel good about course of action 2. My gut tells me it is the one we should pick."

2. "Data and historical precedent tells us that course of action 2 is the one we should pick."

Has this ever happened to you? The boss assigns you or your team a task or project and your deadline is Friday at 3pm, then he asks about it on Wednesday and Thursday. I experienced this in the Army. We would be given a specific task and deadline from our higher headquarters then an individual staff member would inquire about it. We would usually respond by repeating the deadline which was given in the order.

Can we pump the brakes on time or down shift at least? It seems to be flying by. November is fast approaching and that means the holidays are here. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa (take some time to understand the holidays of your diverse organization - who celebrates what) and New Years represent (or ought to) a time of peace, reflection, family, rest and recuperation. These holidays along with the other federal and religious holidays throughout the year are also an opportunity for leaders and their people to take a needed break.

Today Chatty Cathy is a name given to a person who can talk the leg off of a chair. Do you lead one? I'm talking about the type of person who, for whatever reason, can go on and on and on sharing an idea, making a point, or responding to a question. Sometimes it is quite impressive but mostly it is annoying and challenging to manage. It poses a leadership dilemma. To be a good leader, you must be a good listener but you also have to be loyal to other people's (and your) time and efficiency. What then can be done about Chatty Cathy? Here are my thoughts.

I write this blog with all due respect to the chief financial officer (CFO). I know many and they have taught me a great deal in my encore life following military service. We need them as we manage cash flow and tight budgets in our businesses but I offer this in the name of growing leaders -- Tell the CFO to, "zip it!"

Nothing deflates a great idea more than the guy or gal who utters, "we cannot afford that." As leaders we want our people to think big and imagine without boundaries. We also want financial discipline and oversight in all that we do. The two lie in conflict. Here are my thoughts.

This is an age-old dilemma; the pace at which organizations travel and the enormity of the tasks leaders must accomplish against the requirements of leadership. Sarah is overdue for her appraisal but you have a Friday deadline to meet. Which one is the priority? Sadly, too often, it is the former and not the latter. Friday's deadline is the heavier glass ball which cannot be dropped. Investing in Sarah can wait. It is no wonder why we have nearly 70% of employees disengaged from their company (Gallup Poll). Sarah won't leave her job, she will leave her boss because he always defaults to the demands of the organization and leaves her behind.

Trust lies at the core of every relationship, personal and professional. When broken, it is difficult, even impossible in some cases to repair. Trust between the leader and the led and amongst peers is central to every healthy, high-performing organization. The breaking of trust in the form of a lie is one of the many challenges leaders will surely face in their leadership journey. Unfortunately there is no manual, which outlines the steps a leader ought to take. There is however, advice from this old soldier. Here it is.

There is nothing like doing something you are totally confident doing or watching a team perform with full confidence. It is what we all strive for. Confidence in your job brings order and comfort. The hardships experienced while training for proficiency and confidence are mostly gone. However, with confidence comes complacency. In combat we watched this closely. Lives were on the line and any complacency which creeped in could result in disaster.