As a young Boy Scout, I enjoyed hiking and camping in the beautiful mountains of New Mexico. One area where we occasionally camped was near an irrigation canal that brought water to the dryer, lower elevations. We were always warned to stay away from the canal. Even though the surface… Read More »What is the Inside Scoop on Your Team?
I knew I had the answer. From the head of the table I had the power to end the discussion and let everyone know my answer. I really wanted to do that because I knew I was right. Finally, I could stand it no longer. With an air of confidence… Read More »When You Know You Have the Answer, Stop!
The question caught me completely by surprise. I had been assigned as the new maintenance officer responsible for over 100 mechanics and 27 aircraft. Since I had come from an aircraft maintenance background myself, I was excited about this opportunity. I was walking around the flightline one day and stopped… Read More »Why Are You Out Here?
Did he really just say that? I was sitting in my new boss’s office. I had just been moved to a new position which I was not very excited about and was in the office for the traditional “meet the boss” session. I had been snatched from a job I… Read More »It’s OK to be an Ignorant Leader
I’ve found the answers to everything. That’s right. In two words I can explain everything that ever has or ever will happen. First, human health. You have probably heard of the concern with the chemical compound dihydrogen oxide. Extensive research indicates that every person who has ever died or even… Read More »Water, Aliens, and Accountability
A common year-end tradition is lists of books experts recommend for the coming year. The lists I see invariably include a number of tomes on ways to be a successful business leader. There are plenty of those lists out there so I won’t bore you with yet another one. Instead,… Read More »How to Find Real Value in Leadership Books
When I was a brand new Air Force maintenance officer, my unit’s superintendent informed me that it was time for our annual breakfast. Each year the unit’s senior leaders cooked breakfast for the troops and he invited me to join in the cooking. It was a fun morning and I… Read More »Some Random Thoughts on Leadership
The door opened and the doctor rushed into the exam room with my chart in his hand. Without looking at me he quickly said, “I’m going to tell you what’s wrong and what we need to do, then I’ll take a look at your records and examine you.” He hurriedly… Read More »A Story of Two Doctors
It was a Saturday morning and no other customers were at the pharmacy. My wife and I were at a large military hospital’s pharmacy to get a prescription filled. The gentleman at the counter looked at the prescription form I presented and said he could not fill it until eligibility… Read More »Are You Telling Your People to do Stupid Things?