Oxford dictionary defines entrust as assigning responsibility for doing something and to put something in someone's care or protection. I love the latter part of that definition because it captures the essence of leadership - placing the care and protection of an organization, its property, and its people in a leader's hands.

Nug /nəg/ - a person existing largely behind the scenes possessing zero authority who completes minuscule tasks - tasks a leader wishes not to be bothered with. This is Rob Campbell's definition. I'm at risk of being derogatory here, which is not my nature but stay with me. The term nug was introduced to me in the Army during my time as a staff officer in a large organization. Nugs were those people grinding it out, building slide decks, answering phones, or chasing down information. It was a humorous term we gave ourselves as staff officers because we felt like second class citizens, batched into this overlooked and unappreciated sub-population. We operated under the spirit of, "Go do that, come back when complete. Ok, now do this."

A newborn baby does not walk immediately following birth. We should not expect an employee to execute a task they have never done before with speed and confidence. In the Army, we used the Crawl, Walk, Run concept in training to ensure individuals and teams learned effectively. It is useful to a business. Given time, a leader can deliberately lead a person or group through each of these phases coaching, teaching, and mentoring every step of the way. The challenge is most organizations are lean with people yet rich with tasks. Time is precious and scarce. This challenge not withstanding, the Crawl, Walk, Run concept should still be understood and used, even if done in hurried succession.

I'm reading, "Leadership," by Henry Kissinger and I just finished the chapter on French President Charles de Gaulle, his leadership and impact on France and the world. Kissinger labels de Gaulle a, "master of circumstance," for the way he seized the moment when it appeared for his own benefit and that of his nation. How true it is that leaders are masters of circumstance or said differently, great leaders master circumstance.

The mark of a good organization is one which can function without its leader. It is a goal every leader should strive for but it does not happen organically. On top of my leadership practice, I own and run a small business. I tested positive for COVID this weekend so it's time for the team to step up. Here was my guidance. "Team, the mark of a good organization is that it can operate successfully without its leader. We will be put to the test this week as I’ve tested positive for COVID, but I’ve no doubt we will rise to the occasion. I’ll send out some guidance before Monday via email to steer you. Rob"

"Sorry I'm late for the virtual meeting, my computer was acting up." Heard this before? Ever said it yourself? It doesn't work. You (or they) should have tested the computer before the meeting. If you tried to sign on earlier, you would have discovered the problem early enough to fix it. These are actually the thoughts which run through the heads of people on the receiving end of these excuses but rarely do they call out the behavior. There certainly are scenarios (multi-car accident, family emergency, etc.) where a person has a legitimate reason for being late, wrong, or unprepared, but those scenarios are the exception, not the norm. So too should excuses be the exception, not the norm. Most excuses hold little weight and, moreover, they marginalize the person (especially a leader) or organization offering them.

"This call may be monitored for quality assurance." Heard that line before? Quality assurance or catching an employee in the act of being rude? What message do we send when we record - audio or video our employees? My youngest son worked for a big company once delivering products in a van. During his tenure, they installed cameras inside the vans to record driver activity. When their leader informed them of this change he said, "you can quit if you don't like it." I was dumbstruck. I know there are leaders who behave that way, but I still couldn't believe it. "What a way to foster loyalty," I thought sarcastically. His story got me thinking about this topic - recording employees.

"I suggest we do..." This is easy to say in a sentence, but it comes with baggage. Suggestions are an essential part of a growing and improving an organization. Leaders and teams need them, but they are useful only if they come from a good place and are delivered properly - there's a right and a wrong way.

Most of us rarely, if ever, hear the term mnemonic or mnemonic devices yet we are surrounded by them everyday. They are a fantastic leadership tool. Pronounced /nəˈmänik/, Wikipedia defines defines mnemonic devices, as any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval (remembering). I never knew it in a formal sense, but I used mnemonics in leadership. I still do. An old boss of mine once said, “if you want something done right once, you have to say it ten times.” I find the more repetitive I am, especially with short statements or words, the greater chance lessons I want learned or guidance I want remembered sinks in. In my small business, we were rushing to close deals and order products and we started to make mistakes. I conducted an After Action Review to examine failures and create lasting solutions. “Leave no doubt,” became the mantra. I wrote it in several places and uttered it often and randomly, like a tic - concept I call 'the broken record.'

I'm up for a debate on this topic. I do not see the value of affinity groups in organizations. In fact, I believe them to be harmful or, at the least, counterproductive. Tell me if I'm missing something. Affinity groups have gained greater prominence as one of the byproducts of a present-time focus to achieve diversity equity and inclusion or DEI in companies and communities. I came from one of the most diverse organizations in the country, the U.S. Army. I've seen the power of DEI - I consider myself its champion but in my experiences, achieving DEI was never the result of forming affinity groups.

We plan in vacuums where conditions are perfect. Events start and end on time and there are no environmental, human, or other factors which call for changes. However, when the day arrives, so too does friction. Murphy (see Murphy's Laws of Leadership) casts his vote and throws a monkey wrench into the plan. We had a great saying in the Army, "no plan survives first contact." It reminded us as leaders to be flexible, to be prepared for adjustments, to make on-the-spot changes yet stay on course to follow through with the original commander's intent. We were also taught not to 'fall in love with our plans.' I loved this one as it reminded us to be flexible, ready to course-correct, not completely attached to what we spent time developing.

Do leaders have any business in the personal affairs of their people? My short answer is, yes. What people do at home affects how they perform at work. In the Army we had a concept called the performance triad. It's elements; sleep, diet, exercise. We needed soldiers to be at the top of their game in preparation for the rigors of war. If they were up all night playing video games, or if they were eating poorly, lack luster performance would result. What they did or didn't do at home mattered. It is no different in an exceptional business.

As we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, I find myself reflecting on his powerful and timeless words, specifically character. As Army officers we were expected to be people of character. Merriam Webster's dictionary defines character as, one of the attributes or features that makeup and distinguish an individual. Dr. Gregg Henriques writes of character in Psychology Today, "character refers to the core ethical values of honesty and integrity, respecting others, taking responsibility for one's actions, being fair and just, and being someone who promotes love and compassion in others. We can also think about the content of character in terms of core virtues and the extent to which one embodies wisdom, humility, courage, justice, temperance, and the value of human dignity."

Yes, I'm guilty too. Guilty of not delegating when I should. It doesn't make me (or you) a bad person - just a less effective leader. Delegation is not just a word, it's a requirement of leadership. Our roles as leaders require us to see beyond the task of the moment, to grow our people, and to dedicate time and space to think strategically. Here are the three reasons leaders fail to delegate.

What a week it was! I was angered and saddened at what the Wall Street Journal's editorial board rightly labeled, "performative politics" - the selfish maneuvering of a few against the many as the 118th Congress voted for its Speaker. I confess I do not have the full picture or the true intent of the "20" but I tried hard to listen and understand. My frustration turned to pride as our political institution finally delivered a peaceful transfer of power. In so many other countries this contention would have resulted in jailed individuals, burning buildings, death and destruction. While proud, I am not fooled. Our legislative branch of government has a bloody nose after that debacle and the ability to govern may be more difficult in the days ahead. As always, I'll refrain from politics and stick to leadership. Here is my advice to our newly sworn in representatives.

Have you ever had one of those bosses who kept a calendar but never really followed it? I had a meeting set up once to meet the CEO of a large company following my retirement. His name was Chip. When I arrived at his large company, while having lunch with one of his leaders, I learned that I was 'Chip'd' meaning our meeting was canceled. I wasn't given a reason but nobody was surprised. It bothered me when I received the news. I thought, "how rude and inconsiderate." But deep down I actually understood. Chip was known as a very people-centric person. His company was high-performing with a great reputation for caring for its people and creating a great work environment - part of the reason I wanted to meet him. I certainly did not give Chip a pass. I would not have done that to someone, especially from outside my organization who made time to meet with me but I partially understood.

Happy New Year! I hope you had a restful and peaceful holiday. It sure comes on quick and is over in a flash. I packaged up 2022 with 96 blogs totaling 42,295 words. It was very rewarding, especially when I received feedback. 2022 was a great year on many fronts. Most importantly, I grew. You were witness to that growth, whether you knew it or not, through my weekly blogs. Growth was my word for last year. In January of 2022, I bought a small business and employed a handful of great people. I sure learned a lot about small business and of course my people taught me more lessons of leadership - you never stop learning and growing. Last year's word was, I confess, a bit easy. I was destined to grow whether I wanted to or not given the new space I was entering. 2023 promises more growth for me as I scale the business and, with my team, take it to new heights. The new year requires a new word.

Picture me, prancing (pun intended) around the kitchen with my wife Leslie to the sounds of the Burl Ives Christmas playlist on Spotify, thinking about leadership. On second thought, don't picture that. It might spoil your holiday. As I navigate the earth pondering leadership considering my next blog, I thought about this time of year, more specifically its leadership figure, Kris Kringle - more commonly known as Santa Claus. My wheels began to turn and I said to my wife, as I often do, "blog post!"

In 2010 I was a senior trainer at a combat training center. It was a wonderful experience to coach, teach, and mentor leaders and organizations headed to combat. One of my fellow senior trainers stated once, "being a senior trainer is like being a talk show host. You spend a lot of time hosting new people, getting to know them and just talking a lot." It was humorous the way he put it but there was a lot of truth to it. Of course, I've always enjoyed dissecting and examining leadership. It helps me improve my own. So I Googled 'characters of a great talk show host.' I found some real gold.

"Engaged leaders are the ones who start the day present, visible, and face-to-face with their people," so says U.S. Army General Andrew P. Poppas, Commander of U.S. Army Forces Command. In my 27 years in the Army, I heard numerous general officers state things like this - phrases directed at the lowest ranks of the Army. You would think they would speak more in terms of strategy and policy but instead we heard statements like this. I came to understand this speak - meant for the most junior leader. It's the stuff that really matters. These senior leaders understood that if the most junior leaders - lieutenants, sergeants and staff sergeants got leadership right, the Army would succeed. They were right then and they are now, and it applies to any organization.