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Preparation is Overrated

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Preparation is Overrated

Alright, I confess, the title is there to grab your attention…sort of. You see, while there are many adages and clever quotes devoted to the topic of preparation, very little is mentioned about the importance of what successful individuals and teams do afterwards; post-event rituals and…

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Leadership is about relationships, not power

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Leadership is about relationships, not power

I really like Stephan Pastis’ comic strip “Pearls Before Swine” because it’s clever and funny when he isn’t making horrible puns. The strip has it’s main characters like Goat, Rat, and Pig but there are some other characters that occasionally make an appearance like The Wise Ass on the Hill. The character is, you guessed it, the proverbial wise person sitting on a hill dispensing wisdom to those willing to make the journey. The insights from the Wise Ass are normally enough to make me smile though I occasionally cringe because he hits too close to home.

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Goal Setting vs Trend Setting

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Goal Setting vs Trend Setting

We hear it all the time from our family, friends, and peers. What are your goals? Did you succeed? Even better, what about their reactions to our answers. “Whoa, that’s quite ambitious of you,” and in doing so, planting the seed of doubt that our eyes might be bigger than our stomach.

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLACE TO BE AT THE RIGHT TIME

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT PLACE TO BE AT THE RIGHT TIME

Early in military service, leaders teach and reinforce the concept of service members showing up to the right place, at the right time, in the right uniform, with a good attitude. This simple method of discipline is so essential to an effective (note not efficient) military organization that it is universal across initial training. In many cases, instructors…

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Gratitude and Appreciation: Force Multipliers

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Gratitude and Appreciation: Force Multipliers

This article tells no grand story of leadership failure or triumph. It has no references to a Harvard Business School article, the latest leadership book, or other conventional sources. Instead, this writing aims to share…

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Dare to Fail...to Succeed.

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Dare to Fail...to Succeed.

In today’s world we are obsessed with winning; we love to celebrate success: parades for world champions, news interviews for medalists, top stories on award winners - the list goes on and on. Turn on the news or ESPN and you will find…

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Feedback at Its Finest: Both Honest and Kind

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Feedback at Its Finest: Both Honest and Kind

As you reflect on the wisdom and counsel you have received over the years, what are the most memorable? Take a moment. Not just the ‘good’ ones, but the truly stop-you-in-your-tracks, I’ve-got-to-think-about-this-more-deeply’ kind. Hopefully, you’ve had at least a few of these. Let me tell you about one that still stands out for me, from a while back, but is now maybe more important than ever before.

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Decision-Making 101

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Decision-Making 101

I can’t help but notice over the last several years the basics of decision-making appear not so basic anymore. One thing is for certain, we’re all faced with important decisions, personally and/or professionally. In my opinion, such an important thing merits universal basics to apply.

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Focus and Direction

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Focus and Direction

There is a rule of thumb known as the 1 in 60 rule in aviation. It states that for every 1 degree a plane veers off its intended course, it will miss its target destination by one mile for every sixty miles flown.

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The Delegation Dilemma

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The Delegation Dilemma

What is the Delegation Dilemma? Simply put, you might wonder, should I delegate this task to a subordinate or do it myself? Many executives as well as people placed in leadership roles for the first time have difficulty relinquishing control and delegating tasks.

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How to Embrace ‘Tabula Rasa’ and Prepare for a New Year

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How to Embrace ‘Tabula Rasa’ and Prepare for a New Year

Every New Year gives us a chance for a fresh start and to build on the momentum from the previous 12 months. It’s a chance for leaders at all levels to reflect, assess and set new goals for the coming year.

The calendar, after all, is an artifice. Like the clock, it is a device we use to…


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Managing Transitions; Private Sector Considerations from a Military Mindset

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Managing Transitions; Private Sector Considerations from a Military Mindset

Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. These words seem to define business and the non-profit operating environment. Changing politics, the COVID-19 pandemic, supply challenges, and changing labor attitudes represent only a few of the many topics that leaders must address. However…

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Empowerment; How to Focus on the Rising Tide and Stop Searching for Rogue Waves

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Empowerment; How to Focus on the Rising Tide and Stop Searching for Rogue Waves

After an event like the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a good time to check our sight picture. While my experience is as an aviator, I will use a nautical metaphor to explain the challenge in this moment in time. After being hit by a rogue wave, our tendency is to…

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