Many years ago when I was a young worker just becoming a manager and leader and I wondered why my bosses never asked my opinion. In fact they seldom asked me anything. That seemed strange to me; after all I had infinite knowledge and the wisdom of youth and leadership… Read More »10 Questions Leaders Should Ask Employees
“But military leadership is so different than the civilian 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… Read More »Does Military Leadership Translate To The Business World?
This is a chapter from my newly published book, Digging for Dhub Dhubs: Leadership Lessons From 30 Years in the U.S. Air Force. Gaining Influence and Using Power The military has a well-earned reputation for moving people around a lot. The Air Force has added an element to that, at… Read More »Gaining Influence and Using Power
Is money a motivator? Absolutely not! I know many of you will disagree with that so let me explain. It’s about what people need. You may be familiar with Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. At the bottom of his hierarchy he lists basic survival needs; what he called physiological needs… Read More »About Money and Motivation
70,000! That’s how many results you’ll get if you search for “leadership books” on Amazon. There sure is a lot of information available about leadership. That’s good and bad. It’s good because there is lots of information available. It’s bad because there is lots of information available. Let me explain.… Read More »There Isn’t Much New in Leadership
The woman on the phone was in a mid-level leadership position. As we started the coaching call after a leadership development seminar she informed me she was content where she was and did not see herself seeking any higher level leadership responsibilities. But she wanted to know how she could… Read More »Are You Influential?
Image by Freepik What advice would you offer to a young person who wanted to be successful and attain a leadership position? Pondering that question, I’ve realized I would offer the same counsel as I do to those just starting in a leadership position. The earlier someone starts to adopt… Read More »New Leader?
What does a washer dryer set have to do with leadership accountability? We ordered a washer dryer set from Home Depot. While waiting for the set to arrive, we received a flurry of helpful texts ensuring that we had measured to make sure the set would fit through the door… Read More »A Washer, Dryer, and Accountability
It is traditional at this time of year to reflect on the events and actions of the previous twelve months. As this year comes to a close, what I find most striking is the unbelievable vitriol that has infected interpersonal relationships. It seems to have become impossible to discuss even… Read More »How Dare You Disagree
Photo by Freepik Shortly after arriving in the new organization, I asked why we were doing certain tasks that didn’t seem to make sense. This was my first job as an airplane mechanic. I was very young, impressionable, and quite curious so I was disappointed when another mechanic told me… Read More »Don’t Raise Mushrooms