General Jim Anderson

Posts with the ‘General Jim Anderson’ tag

Buzzword Defined: Character

Definitions

Character is now a buzzword.  I use the term buzzword here to describe words that we hear frequently yet are rarely defined by the speakers.  The Presidential campaign is full of buzzwords.  I hear athletes described on Sportcenter using some of the same buzzwords as the politicians use.  The problem is, if you dig into […]

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4 Steps To Becoming A Leader Of Character

Becoming a leader of character is a process that never ends.  It is a never ending road towards a destination you can never completely reach.  But, leaders must take this road daily in order to grow and lead well. I had the benefit of my father, General Jim Anderson, and four years of training at West […]

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Leadership Failures Are Usually Character Failures

Leadership Philosophy

Leadership is a blend of competence and character. BG (Retired) Jim Anderson, my father, taught me that. In 41 years in the Army, including two tours in Vietnam, he saw a lot of great leaders and a lot of leadership failures that formed his philosophy.

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West Point-Plebe Boxing and Leadership

Every male freshman (plebe) entering West Point has a mandatory class that few other colleges offer much less require.  Boxing. Each morning that boxing was on my schedule I woke up thinking about it.  I would sit in calculus, chemistry or computer programing class thinking about boxing.  It didn’t matter that I had tests or […]

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Your Attitude Is A Choice: Make A Different Choice

Dad:  “Did you do what your mom asked you to do?’ Son:  (Without looking at his dad.) “Yep.” Dad:  (Eye brow raised) “Excuse me?” Son:  (Starting to walk away and dripping with annoyance) “Yes Dad. I did what mom asked me to do!” Dad:  (Firmly) “Hey bud! Look at me.” The boy turns and looks at his […]

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New Leaders On New Teams: Step 5

Any time a new ingredient is added to a cookie recipe, the flavor of that cookie changes and can’t be changed back. I cannot undo it.  The cook can add chocolate chips or pecans-Dark chocolate or milk chocolate. The recipe is usually an intentional combination of ingredients.  However, once one ingredient changes, the flavor of […]

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New Leaders On New Teams: Step 3

When a new leader steps onto a new team, they have one chance to get it right.  I got it right sometimes and other times I didn’t.  The effort I put in up front always paid off later in better relationships and more productive teams. Over the last two weeks I focused on what to […]

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4 Steps to Becoming A Leader Of Character

Becoming a leader of character is a process that never ends.  It is a never ending road towards a destination you can never completely reach.  But, leaders must take this road daily in order to grow and lead well. I had the benefit of my father, General Jim Anderson, and four years of training at […]

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