I recently watched as a good man failed to be promoted to a position he had long sought. When I look back at the deliberations of those who decided this man’s fate, there really was one issue that settled the matter. I’m frustrated by this, because this one issue was [read more]
We are living in an age of huge media events and breaking news. Historic happenings seem to intrude into our lives daily. It means that the people we lead look to us for perspective and assurance. The insecure leader uses this attention to make matters worse. The wise leader knows [read more]
As you know, I don’t usually talk politics in these Leading Thoughts. It follows, then, that I won’t be writing here in any great detail about what happened at our US Capitol building in DC. Yet I don’t mind drawing out an important principle of leadership that will help you. [read more]
Allow me to add my blessing to all the good wishes you’ve likely had laid upon your New Year. I truly hope that 2021 is your best year yet. May it be for you a year of restoration, a year of prosperity, a year of growth, and a year of [read more]
I’m moved as I write this Leading Thoughts. It is the last one for 2020. Many of you have shared your challenges, your losses, your growth, and your victories with me in recent months. It means a great deal. I’m proud of you and eager to see you happy, successful, [read more]
I was watching a series on Netflix this past week when I heard words that echoed what was already circulating in my soul. In a fine series called The Liberator, a sergeant says to a terrified soldier, “Fear is a response. Courage is a decision.” I couldn’t agree more and [read more]
If you read these Leading Thoughts often, then you know I am an optimist. I believe the future is bright—that vaccines will be developed for Covid-19, that economies will bounce back, that we can recover from the severest blows, and that good days are ahead. This is all in the [read more]
President Harry Truman famously kept a sign on his Oval Office desk that read, “The Buck Stops Here.” People loved it. Truman followed Franklin Roosevelt who had been in ill health for quite some time before he died. The change to a higher energy leadership was refreshing. Also, during World [read more]
I work to keep politics out of these Leading Thoughts. Those of you who have been reading these through the years know this. If I refer to a political speech, it is only to talk about speech itself, not politics. If I mention a politician, it is to illustrate a [read more]
There is a force that deforms leadership. It arises from within the leader and it permeates everything he or she does. The team feels it. Those outside the firm feel it. Family and friends certainly feel it. Yet because it is a force that can feel like strength and command [read more]