Posts with the ‘Leaders of Character’ tag
“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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Leaders of Character Say, “I always have room to grow” One of the true marks of a humble leader is that he is not the same leader he was twelve months ago. The arrogant leader is stagnant. His way of leading does not change. Some people even boast about not changing their style or methods. […]
If you are like me, you’ve read a number of leadership books and they are begining to sound alike. Many of the early readers of Becoming a Leader of Character thought the same thing. Here is one quote from an early reviewer: I have been observing and teaching about leadership for over 30 years as […]
Character is the reason most leaders fail, but what causes most of our character failures? Why do some leaders succumb to the temptation to lie or cheat? Why do others avoid confrontations or demean their subordinates? Why do micromanagers micromanage? Honestly, most resources do not go deep enough and get to the root cause of […]
“Character is higher than intellect.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Leadership speaker and author John Maxwell jump-started the trend of defining leadership as influence. I agree with him and the leadership experts (such as Oswald Sanders) whom Maxwell cites as his inspiration. But does that definition go far enough? Does just having influence make someone a […]
“What can I do? If I step up and try to lead my peers, I don’t think they will follow. I’m not as direct as you are Dave. ” The quote above is representative of a lot of conversations I have inside of companies who ask for my help. There are many people who know […]
Question 1: Are sheep without a shepherd still sheep? Answer: Yes. Question 2: Is a shepherd without sheep still a shepherd? Answer: No. A shepherd without sheep is just a hygienically challenged man walking the countryside with a stick in his hands. Leaders: It is the people that make you a leader not the title!
