The Buck Stops Here
President Harry Truman taught us all a great principle of leadership when he famously put a sign on his desk that read, “The Buck Stops Here.” He was answering the tendency of some leaders in his day to “pass the buck,” to refuse to take responsibility and to instead pass blame and obligation on to others. Truman knew that by declaring that he would not pass the buck, that he would take final responsibility, he was defining the culture of his administration. I have never ceased to marvel at how decisively a leader shapes the culture of his or her[read more]
Unearthing the Deformity in Your Soul
I have been looking back over my life a bit recently and I’ve come to a conclusion that I think might help you. So, let me risk talking about myself for a moment. Though I am not a fearful person, I have come to realize that at certain important junctures of my life I have let fear rule me. Throughout high school, I did not go aggressively after some of my goals because I let insecurity and fear of failure dominate me. Later, in college, I was a recognized leader, but I might have gone much further had I not[read more]
Not Everyone is Made to be a Leader
Leading Thoughts is devoted to leadership so I imagine you will be surprised to hear me say this: not everyone is made to be a leader. This runs counter to the prevailing beliefs in recent years. Lately, it is as though our society has discovered the subject of leadership. Universities advertise by promising to make their students into leaders. Degrees in leadership are offered to all. Our military recruits by promising to build leaders and bestselling books assure us that we can easily be the leaders we were made to be. I’m grateful for every person who is made to[read more]
Let the Cream Rise to the Top
If you’ve been with us here at Leading Thoughts for very long, then you know that I believe in the idea that leadership is primarily about creating a culture. Culture, of course, is a product of whatever is encouraged to grow. It is a leader’s job to make sure the right things are growing in his or her firm and thus that the right culture is prevailing. Part of every healthy, thriving business culture must be, as my southern grandmother used to say, that “the cream can rise to the top.” When it comes to leadership, these words have three[read more]
Leadership Requires Checklists
I was in the home of a friend one day when I saw something that has inspired in me an important belief about leadership. Years ago, my buddy Jason had two adorable, elementary school-aged daughters who happened to arrive home from school while I was visiting. After the requisite hugs and snacks, my friend turned to each girl alternatively and said, “High/Low.” This was obviously a daily ritual, because the two girls were prepared. The “High” for one of them was that she got to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. For the other it was that she loved doing Show[read more]
Building a Heroic Culture
The ancient word for “hero” did not mean what we mean by the term now. Today, we think of a hero as someone who is famous, talented, or rich. In the ancient world, hero meant someone who broke through barriers so others could arise to their best. It meant someone whose example or deeds enabled others to achieve what they would not have achieved otherwise. What you want in the firm you lead is a heroic culture in the ancient sense. Let me explain. For a business to grow and succeed, it has to break previous barriers. You want to[read more]
Power of Joining Generations
I want to speak to you in this Leading Thoughts about the power of joining the generations. It is a power that can take the firm you lead to greater success. We are fortunate to have three gifted generations shaping our culture today—business culture in particular. There are the baby boomers, of course, who are 80 million strong, so creative they have remade the world in their image, and are young enough to still be playing a decisive role. There are also the Gen Xers. These are the children of the boomers who came into the world beginning in the[read more]
The Credit Factor
In this week’s Leading Thoughts, let me return to a facet of leadership I believe in strongly and want to urge upon you now. I counsel all leaders to think in terms of “The Credit Factor.” This is simply the idea that all leaders at all times are building or losing credit with those they lead. How much credit is in the “leadership account” is a factor the wise leader is always monitoring. Credit is usually built in a leader’s account by victories, wise decisions, and compassion. If Susan has just completed the new health center, engineered a better retirement[read more]
Five Mistakes to Ruin a Company
I was asked in a recent interview what five mistakes I had seen ruin companies the most. I want to share my answer with you in hopes that it will help you lead well. Here they are. Unwise Hiring – I’ve long been stunned by how casually some firms hire. This is usually for two reasons. First, they hire in crisis mode. Typically, someone left unexpectedly and so there’s a rush to find a replacement. This means the usual due diligence is overlooked. Second, they hire sentimentally. The dock manager has a son who just got out of prison or[read more]
Traits of the Most-Admired Leaders
In the work that we do with leaders, we spend a lot of time investigating reputations. What do a leader’s immediate team really think of her? What do the folks four tiers down in the company really feel about the CEO? How do other leaders in the same industry perceive our leader? It is all very revealing, and the information we gather is usually a helpful tool for the invested leader. Having done all this research over the years, let me list for you the traits people mention most about the leaders they admire and want to follow. The positive[read more]