I'm going to go out on a limb here and state that leaders should be empaths or at least have empath qualities. According to a professional article, "15 Signs You May Be An Empath," produced by Healthline, a health and wellness forum, an empath is someone who is highly attuned to the energies and emotions of those around them. Empaths are said to feel what others are feeling so deeply, they absorb or take on the emotions themselves the article states.

"Walk by a problem without addressing it and you've created a new standard." I heard this often in my military career. This statement captured the essence of standards and discipline, something we strove for in order to perform at our best and keep soldiers alive in combat. While lives may not be at stake, this concept still applies in a private business. If you don't address the problem others will assume it is acceptable behavior. "Well the boss didn't say anything..." I'll take it a step further; If you don't address the problem, others will.

Heard this term, whistle blow, lately? I bet you have and that's as far as I'm going politically with this blog. I'll focus instead on the concept of whistle blowing and opine on when one should do it. Whistle blowing, of course, doesn't involve blowing a whistle. It occurs in many ways, such as alerting the media, taking to social media, reporting to an investigating body, or even sending an email to a wide body of people, especially those with authority.

Every position in an organization is created (or should be) to address a problem. Every one. The CEO is created to solve the void of leadership. A COO is created to solve the problem of coordinating, planning, and operating. A CFO is created to solve the problem of financial mismanagement. The list goes on. In my small company of four people, I created a director of operations in part to fill the void of central operations but also to free me up to immerse in the community, networking and sharing our value proposition with people and companies, something I was not doing enough of. Why have you created the position you have in your organization?

I was conversing once with Tony, a friend and leadership colleague, about core values and culture inside organizations - vitally important things to get right if you want to excel. Tony asked, rhetorically, "what gets someone voted off the island." This phrase, coined from the reality TV show, Survivor, has become somewhat pop culture as a saying used in a variety of ways. In our case, Tony asked it as a thought-provoking question to force a leader and their team to consider deeply, what values, and beliefs a group should subscribe to and honor.

Autonomy is a wonderful thing - a requirement I submit, for the fulfillment of people. Autonomy is part of my "List of Six" desires of people in the workplace, described in my first book, "It's Personal, Not Personnel." Indeed there are some who seek constant guidance and don't mind frequent oversight, but most want space, freedom, and even time to do their jobs. They do not want to be micromanaged. Merriam Webster defines autonomy as the quality or state of being self-governing or self-directing freedom and especially moral independence. I aim for almost total autonomy but I do not rush to it.

Years ago, while serving in the Army at Fort Lewis, Washington as an aide to a general, we had a large field exercise. Fort Lewis, being in the Pacific Northwest was known for its inclement weather. The clouds would drift over the coastal mountains and hover over the Puget Sound. In short, it rained a lot. This field exercise was conducted in a large operation center housed in a series of tents connected together. Separate tents posed a problem as the rain would find its way in and harm the delicate computer systems and electricity powering the lighting. To overcome this, leaders laid down pallets and hung waterproof gutters through out the structure to steer the water away from computers, electrical outlets, and people. I heard one leader call it "water management," and I still remember it.

It's that time of year - children out of school and the warm weather of summer when people take vacations from work. In the U.S. Army we called vacations leave. One had to seek approval for them. They were documented and soldiers signed out and back in from their time off. I always felt guilty taking leave, probably because of my loyalty to my unit and my boss but also because I had some leaders who made me feel guilty. I witnessed several leaders who took little leave or who even came into work while on leave. I never wanted to make my people feel guilty about taking leave or vacation. Often I would urge them to do so because I knew of the importance of time off.

On the morning of July 3rd 2023, I get a text message from Michael, a fellow veteran who I have met formally but do not know deeply. Michael was on the other side of the country in Eastern Tennessee where I live, work, and play. On that day I was in Santa Barbara, California vacationing with family enjoying an early morning stroll through a suburb neighborhood. Normally I would have responded that I’m out of town or waited until I returned to respond, but this text was different. It read, “veteran in crisis…” I called Michael immediately.

What do you do when things go wrong? Do you stomp around angry and ranting? Do you fall silent in disappointment or silent anger? Do you turn your back and attempt to ignore what went wrong? Do you look for a person or people to blame? If this is your approach, you're fixing nothing. I would submit you are only fostering failure.

Meet Mortimer Bartholomew, a fitting name for the single point of failure. He was given this name because everything had to go through his inbox before leaving the organization destined for a higher headquarters. Thus everything due to a higher headquarters or another agency became delayed as he poured through every detail before releasing it. I've given him a different name but he was real and he earned this title.

It's that time of year - students graduating, entering the workforce, and interviewing for jobs. I've had my own experience with hiring as I added a new position to my small business. It was an interesting experience - probably blog worthy in and of itself. I'll just say that I witnessed both the good and the bad - no-shows, the ball cap with sunglasses perched on top, the interviewee confessing they were just looking for a paycheck, to those who arrived presentable and prepared. I'm happy to say I found a man of character and talent for the position. After my interview I asked him to return and be interviewed by my teammates. I wanted them to have a say as they would work with him day in and day out.

Here is your answer to that subject line. Yes. It can be both. Indeed, if you are a leader you are seen in a hierarchical sense to be on top. People view organizations like they do organizational charts. The manager, coach, president, or CEO is at the top, employees or team members are down below. A leader cannot avoid, nor should they, being above or on top. Those who see themselves too much as one of the folks marginalize the position they hold and the requirements and duties of it. I do not subscribe to the leaderless organization. While residing on top, there is a way to be with them.

My dad was a gifted salesman. He sold commercial insurance for years and raised a family of four doing it. His charisma, knowledge of product, and focus on relationships won him many a sale. He passed those talents down to me. I'm not one to brag but I can sell snowballs to the Eskimos. It has helped me as a leader because, after all, leadership is influence and in selling, you are influencing others to buy something. Here are my thoughts.

Wouldn't you love to be a mind reader? Wouldn't it help you navigate your days interacting with and influencing others? Unfortunately we are not. We do not possess crystal balls, therefore we have to apply empathy, active listening, and know our people on a deeper level. Knowing a person is a journey. It is one every leader must travel if they desire to lead their people to the best of their ability. I always start with questions like, "What would you want me to know about you if we were to work together?" or "What are the things which set you off, push your buttons as they say?" I'll also use the Forte Institute's Communication Style Report to help me 'see' a person deeper, helping me understand their level of dominance, patience, and conformity, among other aspects of their communication and decision making. All of this (and more) helps me apply anticipative leadership.

"We lost the game because Roger missed those free throws," said no true teammate ever. The game was lost (or won) as a team. Roger should never have been placed in that position - the game resting completely on his shoulders. Does your team speak team? Team language oozes with selflessness and ownership. It sounds like people confessing how they could have done better for the greater cause, in the name of their organization, and for their teammates. It sounds like teammates challenging and assisting each other. It looks like people reacting to mistakes, and losses personally as if they let down their organization, boss (coach), and most importantly their teammates. Get this happening in your organization and you have struck gold.

I was having breakfast with an old friend the other day and we were commiserating about work. He was complaining about some people he works with who have all these big ideas yet fail to understand they will require plans and resources. "The Ends are easy," I stated. We both had a laugh. Both of us served well over 20 years in uniform and we understand strategy - Ends, Ways, and Means, very well.

The U.S. Army is an institution rich with leaders. From a Team Leader who leads two soldiers to a General who leads thousands, there are individuals at several echelons who carry the title of leader and or the rank which gives them authority. Even those who are not in leadership positions are expected to step up should their leader be killed on the battlefield. You're a leader or a leader in training. A former boss and mentor of mine would say this to promote a spirit of growth, responsibility, and influence. It reminded us of our duty to grow our people. While military stair-step advancement is not replicated in many companies, this concept and spirit of growth is still relevant.

There is a dangerous phenomenon which occurs in organizations, especially in small, cohesive teams. It can be labeled as cockiness, complacency, and or shortsightedness. As teams evolve and become very good at what they do, members take short cuts, communicate less, and may grow resentful of external organizations and people such as the 'headquarters' and its leaders. In a business, as members become proficient with the service or product they sell, they may grow impatient with, or even resentful of a customer who asks many questions, especially in a mistrustful manner. But they, in this case the customers, have the right to ask.

I was teaching recently to a group of very busy executives. I had a lot of important topics and concepts to cover but I ensured that I stopped on time to offer breaks to the class. They needed 10-15 minutes to use the bathroom, stretch, and or grab a drink or snack to refuel themselves. There was something else at play and I could sense it. They were a group of employees in a hybrid work environment - interacting often but not always together in person. They needed some interpersonal bonding time.