There were plenty of reasons not to be in Philadelphia in July of 1776. It was hot and muggy, and mosquitoes and horseflies filled the air. But, in spite of the discomfort, a small group gathered to discuss nothing less than separating, by force of arms, from the most powerful nation in the …
Tag Archive: leadership
Jun 22 2010
Good Leadership Helps Retain Good Workers Which Saves Money – Big Money!
Multiple studies claim that a majority of employees quit their jobs because they aren’t happy with their boss. Do people quit their jobs voluntarily in today’s economic environment? Recently, I was challenged on my assertion that an employer is doing pretty well to hang on to a good employee for more than 5 …
Jun 08 2010
Five Mistakes Leaders Make
No one’s perfect and when the average imperfect individual finds him or herself in a leadership position, there are suddenly many more opportunities to mess up. Trouble is, mistakes made by leaders are much more likely to negatively affect others or even the organization at large. Here are some of the common mistakes …
May 13 2010
Leadership Questions — What’s On Your Mind
One of the hallmarks of a good leader is the ability to listen. A great leader goes beyond that to seek out as much information as possible about their workers. The more a leader knows the better he or she can provide the type of leadership people need. As a speaker and trainer, …
May 11 2010
Does Military Leadership Translate To The Business World?
Several of us were standing around a table discussing the good and bad of young people in the workplace. When a member of the group complained that his young workers were not as productive as he wished and just didn’t seem to be able to “get it,” I suggested a technique to lead …
Apr 27 2010
Four Leadership Traits That Are Not Situational
What are the most important actions for a leader? Of course the answer to such a question is highly situational, but I got to thinking about some things good leaders do in general. These are things that should become a habit, things that good leaders do without giving it a lot of thought. …
Apr 22 2010
Leadership Knowledge – Do You Know What You Know Not?
Sometimes leaders feel they must present an air of ultimate knowledge and infallibility or they will lose the respect of their subordinates. There is a line from the book of Proverbs which states “He who knows not and knows not he knows not: he is a fool – shun him.” This is exactly …
Apr 20 2010
Crisis Leadership – Hack the Clock
Years ago I was a crew member in an Air Force helicopter rescue unit. One of things we did a lot was study the procedures for handling emergencies. There were a few situations that required immediate action, which was trained and practiced so as to be second nature. Most situations though allowed time …
Apr 15 2010
Levels of Leadership
I’ve been following a thread of comments relating to a question about how to handle a boss who is a complete jerk. This boss is antagonizing, bullying, and generally manipulative. What surprised me about the comments was that most people seemed to think the answer was for the subordinate to just move on. …
Apr 13 2010
Effective Leadership Communication: 9 Tips for Writing
Effective communication is vital for leadership success. In today’s world of instant message, texting, and email, it’s easy to forget some common rules that still apply in most situations. There is a dichotomy here though that leaders must understand and accept, even if it doesn’t seem fair. While a leader should strive for …