Leadership author and speaker
Leadership author and speaker
Had a friend tell me long ago that I didn’t buy motorcycle parts, I bought patterns. I’ll be damned if I don’t hear his voice every time I try to buy something nice for my bike. Like what you’re reading? Check out “Patio Wisdom” in the Lulu Store and at Amazon. Mickey believes everyone can […]
In 1915, Canadian artilleryman John McCrae penned poem about loss and remembering. I share it with you today as a way to honor all the men and women who never returned from battle. Flanders Field John McCrae, May 1915 In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That […]
Career development and mentoring are the themes for this week’s Friday Link Around. I was excited to once again facilitate the Society of American Military Engineers Young Member mentoring session at this year’s Joint Engineering Training Conference (JETC 2016). It was a fantastic session using live polling and hands-on activities with over 150 engineers, architects, […]
Successful leaders are curious about their business and the people who work for/with them. This sort of curiosity is an imperative for a leader because he/she has to both accomplish the task at hand and the “care/feeding” of the team. To put it more succinctly, the leader needs to know what’s going on. There’s a […]
No! Do or do not. There is no try. -Yoda I had to decide and there really weren’t any good choices. Balancing security with the “need for speed” completing construction in preparation for the invasion of Iraq. The security officer at our air base in the Kuwaiti desert would not budge on his requirements, and […]
When reaching the end of their careers, military veterans are often faced with difficult questions. There are, of course, the practical considerations of finances and family, but the biggest question for the vet is not where he’ll live or how he’ll make his living. The biggest question for the retiring vet is what’s my purpose? […]
Memorial Day is approaching and I thought a couple of posts on the subject of courage was in order. I’m pleased to bring you an excerpt from my book The Five Be’s as a two-part series on courage. __ Admiral Tarrant from the film The Bridges at Toko-Ri asked, “Where do we get such men?” The […]
Life is full of plan B, a lot more plan C, and the occasional plans D, E, and F. Success in life is due to a combo of luck and hard work. When luck fails, you have to be able to work harder! The Patio King has always been willing to work hard to make […]
It’s graduation time! Graduation pictures are appearing on my Facebook feed: smiling grads and proud parents. In honor graduation day for so many, this week’s Link Around is all about the grad. Top 10 Commencement Speeches Time Mag: Graduation gift ideas George Saunders has excellent advice: be kind Inspirational quotes for graduates Buzzfeed: 31 Grad Party […]
My book, Leading Leaders, is filled with stories about leaders and personal stories from my own life since leadership is inherently a personal experience. Leadership is not the application of skills as much as it’s the focused attention on human interaction. Humans are complex beings that are the amalgamation of their own experiences, learned and […]
“Shared Purpose” is shorthand for getting people connected to the mission of an organization. The most effective leaders are able to build a collective sense of shared purpose and connect each individual to the mission of the larger team. In fact, the teams who think and work together with a sense of shared purpose are […]
You can never go wrong with black and chrome. This one always makes me smile! The Patio King inherited my Dad’s love for all things “motor,” and he’s good at it! I can work on machines, and do it when I have to do it, but PK really loves getting his hands greasy. In his life […]
This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day! If you’re reading this and haven’t done something to honor your mom yet, you still have two days! My Mom was always a strong presence in my life and my family–and along with what my Dad she taught me a great deal about how to be successful in life. […]
Aloha: the word conjures up warm tropical breezes and spectacular sunsets. But just as Hawaii is more than sand and surf, so is the meaning of aloha. It’s far more than you think! The natural beauty of the ‘aina (the land) and ke kai (the sea) in the Hawaiian Islands is legendary, but it’s the […]
Ultimately, leadership is both highly personal and highly situational. There are all sorts of teams and leaders, and the themes and truisms I lay out in this book are universal; each leader has to adapt their own style and personal ethos. I submit that the personal ethos is the first thing a serious leader should […]
Two years ago, I lost everything of monetary value, either stolen or sold. I’ve never been happier in my life than I am today. Thank you to all the thieves and buyers. When you are down on your luck, it’s easy to blame others. It takes a big man–and a hearty helping of God’s grace–to […]
Mickey believes everyone can reach high levels of performance if inspired and led. During his 30 year US Air Force career Mickey commanded thousands of Airmen, managed portfolios worth billions of dollars, and worked with military, civil, and industry officials around the world. He is a Distinguished Graduate from the Eisenhower School at National Defense […]
