“People, people who need people are the luckiest people in the world” Barbara Streisand When I was being trained to be a military officer in the early 1970’s we were instructed never to be friends with the soldiers reporting to us. Fraternization and friendship were to be avoided at all costs. Both of these actions […]
“Do It My Way Or I Am Leaving!”
All seasoned managers have faced this dilemma. An employee, (sometimes talented, sometimes not; sometimes experienced, sometimes not), threatens to leave if he or she does not get something they demand. It may be a promotion, a bonus, a pay increase or some other desired result. But the threat is always the same: these employees put […]
Are You A Compelling Communicator?
“What we have here is a failure to communicate.” The Captain, Road Prison 36 from Cool Hand Luke Leadership communication is an interesting topic. We all know that the ability to communicate appropriately is an essential component for every effective leader. Ken Blanchard and Associates reports that 43% of survey respondents identified communication skills as […]
Are You A Leader Who Listens?
You don’t listen to me! Whether at home or the office, we have all heard this phrase in our lifetimes. We have probably even used it ourselves! As early as 50 A.D. the Apostle James wrote that the ability to listen is an important skill in life and relationships. He wrote, “Let every person be […]
Persuasive Communication: A Powerful Tool In The Leader’s Toolkit
“What we have here is a failure to communicate.” The Captain, Road Prison 36 from Cool Hand Luke Leadership Communication Leadership communication is an interesting topic. First we know that communication is essential to any and all relationships. People cannot work together and collaborate together without the ability to communicate. As such, communication underlies everything […]
Are Lazy Teachers Ruining Generations of Potential Talent?
To the 10-20% of excellent teachers that exist, I apologize and thank you for what you are trying to do. The problem is that most of the other 80% thinks they are in the 20% and do not appreciate the damage their shoddy teaching practices are doing to our youth. Recently Kenneth R. Lutchen wrote […]
The Sloppiness Of Thought Leadership Is Killing Employee Engagement
The quality of leadership is suffering. We see that in all types of organizations and at all levels. One of the many reasons for this deterioration of leadership quality is the lack of rigor and precision in many so-called thought leaders. Many people assume the mantle of consultant and thought leader in the field of […]
How The Misuse of A Key Part of Equal Employment Opportunity Killed The Search For Talent
If I were to enter the workforce today, there is no way I would be considered or hired for the jobs in which I started my career. After graduating from college with a liberal arts degree I entered the Army, went to Vietnam and came back to the states and entered the workforce with a […]
Has Your Staff Ever Pushed You Into Actions You Knew You Shouldn’t Take? The Need For Leadership Conviction
Recently I read an interesting article, “WHY IS IT SO EASY TO GET PEOPLE TO DO BAD THINGS?” http://iheartintelligence.com/2016/04/13/people-do-bad-things/. In the article, the author reviewed the Milgram experiments of the 1960’s. I quote from the author’s review of that study: “Stanley Milgram was a psychologist at Yale University. He started conducting experiments in July of […]