“Dave, my goal is to do your job someday.” Debbie confidently stated. My response was one word: “Why?” Too many people look at moving into leadership and moving up the chain of command as the definition of success at work. I wanted to be clear to Debbie that climbing the career ladder for climbing sake […]
The first team I led had two women, two African American’s and someone of Asian descent. The other 5 were white males. Our team picture could have been used as an HR poster for diversity! I hired most of them because I felt they were of high character and high potential. Diversity was not part […]
If a team does not engage in productive conflict, I guarantee you they are not coming up with the best solutions. I sharpen a knife with friction. As I drag a knife across a wet stone, I must maintain the proper angle in order to sharpen the knife’s edge. If I do not keep the […]
“I deserve more!” A lot of dysfunctional attitudes can be traced back to this one statement. It is another way of saying, “I am entitled.” When I am not happy with my day, my week or my life, I can usually trace it back to a feeling of entitlement. The belief that any of us […]
In 2015, the first female graduates of the Army’s Ranger School set an example for all of us for Positivity and getting things done. They overcame unique obstacles as trailblazers in what has been an all-male enterprise. Plus, they overcame the traditional obstacles that have stopped generations of would-be male Rangers from earning the title […]
If we are not developing our people, we should stop calling ourselves leaders! I don’t know why leaders ignore the coaching part of their jobs. But I work with so many organizations and hear the same story again and again. “I never hear from my boss unless something is wrong.” “I get feedback once a […]
Imagine what it would be like to be led by a person who understood what Duty is and then did their Duty. Duty is not a term used outside of the military very often. But if more people did their Duty, our workplaces and our lives would be significantly different. What is Duty in 12 […]
“Listen until it hurts!” – Steve Wiley, Lincoln Leadership Institute I have to work at listening well. I know I can look someone in the eye, nod with conviction, and be thinking about something else. At other times, I hear the first sentence and spend the rest of my time formulating my rebuttal. Listening is […]
We all know “that guy” we want to run from at cocktail parties. The one who dominates every conversation. The one who talks about himself, his accomplishments, his week, his children, his work, his boss, his whatever. The one who always seems to have a story to top yours. When you break it all down, […]
Is this scene familiar to you? The boss walks through the office and says “Good morning” to people before closing his door until lunch. He walks back through the office after lunch saying “Good afternoon” to people before closing his door until he leaves the building at the end of the day. “See you tomorrow!”, […]
