Leadership author and speaker
Leadership author and speaker
Looking for leadership opportunities–and accepting responsibility–is a crucial ingredient to any leader’s character. The colonel looked at four squadron commanders and said, “The general will be inspecting the facility tomorrow, everything needs to be perfect.” Three of the assembled commanders looked at their feet, while the fourth simply smiled and said, “Sir, I got this. […]
My annual advice for new college students is really focused at freshmen, but you sophomores need advice, too. In fact, if my own personal experience is any measure, sophomores need it more. You’re Experienced, but You’re Not an Expert. Returning to college this fall will feel familiar. You know the locations of your classrooms, you […]
The Class of 2020 is arriving at college this month, and so keeping with August’s “Advice That Sticks” theme, here’s the latest version of Dad’s Sage Advice for College – 2016 Edition 1. Keep Yourself Healthy You can’t run at full throttle all the time-be sure to maintain your mental, spiritual, and physical health. Don’t […]
I’m pleased to present another excerpt from my book, Leading Leaders: Inspiring, Empowering, and Motivating Teams about the importance for senior leaders to do some things personally: In my own experience as a leader, I have often been surprised at how much impact little things have on people. Each year former and current students from my alma […]
“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 […]
Dear General McClellan, if you’re not going to use the army, may I borrow it for a while? ~ Abraham Lincoln The squadron was broken and the commander was the reason. He empowered no one, made all the decisions himself, and insisted on controlling even the most minute details in everything we did. By any […]
This week, I’m offering a “sneak peek” at the some of the original content my newsletter subscribers receive every month! New subscribers also receive a free electronic copy of Mickey’s Rules for Leaders, my simple guide to leading any team effectively! Sign up by clicking this link or on form in the sidebar at right! […]
“Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage without fear.”– Eddie Richenbacker, World War I flying ace There are as many definitions of the word “courage” as there are people. Courage can take many forms, but we generally think of courage in two main categories: physical courage and moral courage. When […]
Nothing is as strong as the heart of a volunteer. -Jimmy Doolittle There may be situations in military leadership where the leader must keep the team in the dark–but in 27 years service and commanding five units I’ve never found one. On the contrary, the question asked most often by military leaders and those they […]
I believe that being successful means having a balance [in] life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles. – Zig Ziglar When my son was very young, he would give me the same advice as I left for work […]
Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions. Harold S. Geneen During the 1950-1953 Korean War, American fighter pilots dominated the skies, even though the Soviet-made MiG-15 jets were faster and more nimble than the American F-80 and F-86s. The difference wasn’t the technology—it was the battle-tested American veterans flying […]
Temperance is the practice of self-control, moderation and abstinence. Whenever we think of the word “Temperance,” many probably think of Carrie Nation and Prohibition. While moderation or even abstention from alcohol can be Temperance, it is actually a narrow view of it as a virtue. Temperance applies to keeping competing appetites in balance, similar to […]
Rule #1. Have a direction and know what it is. Go there. The first rule of leadership is for the leader to know where he or she is going. People look to leaders for inspiration and motivation, but above all, they look to leaders for direction. That’s why it’s so very important for leaders to […]
Using the virtue of Prudence ensures you have the ability to make the right choices.
Monday Motivation: Duty and Loyalty, these are among the most prized of human virtues
The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. Vince Lombardi I’ve been an athlete my entire life. From Little League, soccer, and football growing up in Texas to intramurals […]
