Leadership author and speaker
Leadership author and speaker
Each new year the resolutions fly…we promise to lose weight, eat better, work harder, read more, you name it. Now that we’re at the end of January, it’s time to take stock of our goals and re-commit to them. Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once spoke about the snooze button, and how it was really superfluous. […]
Aloha ‘oe to Major General Paul “Pickle” McGillicuddy, USAF, on his retirement from active duty. Thank you, Sir, for your service to our country, and your fellow Airmen. We’ll miss you at PACAF!
Integrity must be at the core of who we are as leaders if we’re to successfully inspire confidence in our teams. Because leadership is fundamentally about human relationships, integrity must be the very cornerstone of any leader’s foundation. In every aspect of our lives we depend on the integrity of others, and others do the […]
In military aviation, the “wingman” is responsible for protecting the lead in a two-ship formation. As the “Lead” prosecutes the target, the “Wingman” watches his back and calls out threats. In this “two-ship” formation, there’s a leader and a follower, but they work together to accomplish the mission and get everyone back home. Put another […]
I’m very excited to announce Leading Leaders is now available in the Kindle Store!
One of my core tenets is leaders must give teams a sense of mission: In my book Leading Leaders, I recount the story of a friend of mine who took over leadership of a volunteer re-sale shop. “She and her leadership team began by listening to the volunteers and addressed their personal concerns about the […]
The phrase “Hail Mary” to describe a desperate long pass down the field entered the NFL lexicon after a Dallas Cowboys vs Minnesota Vikings playoff game in 1975 when Cowboys’ quarterback Roger Staubach connected with receiver Drew Pearson in what turned out to be the game-winning play. Despite the glamour of the Steve Sabol narrated NFL films, few […]
UPDATE: – Marc is our winner, congrats! Look for an email from me with instructions on how to claim your prize! Happy New Year from Hawaii! I’ll resume weekly blogging next week, but in the mean time I thought I’d ask you to comment with your 2015 goals. A few of my goals for 2015 […]
As a student of history, I’m often inspired by the lives of the people who lived through and shaped great events. I think we need heroes, and not just the ones we watch for 30 seconds on a news program’s “profile” short. Great men and women from history should inspire us to see our […]
My latest on GeneralLeadership.com: Leading with the Five Be’s From the time we’re very young we’re presented with a list of “don’ts” to set boundaries. To be sure young people get the lion’s’ share of the boundary setting, but every society and organization has its list of what you can’t do. Boundaries are necessary, but […]
As I alluded to in the stories from my time in the Aggie Corps, I’ve learned that leadership is not merely a matter of barking orders or acting “in charge.” The leader has to take charge and make decisions. Even in the military, we rarely bark orders. In an emergency or in combat, certainly, but […]
We’re privileged to live near hallowed ground: the battleground where 2,000 Americans lost their lives on December 7, 1941 during the attack on the military bases on Oahu. It’s humbling to live and work in a place where the history is never locked away in a book or museum, but part of our everyday lives. […]
On Small Business Saturday, I encourage you to support your local community businesses and small businesses online as well. Here’s a few suggestions: Books from Lead the Way Media: Patio Wisdom and Leading Leaders make great gifts to inspire and encourage. By the way, there’s an e-book version of Leading Leaders, and an accompanying Workbook […]
Via Stars And Stripes Thanksgiving is among America’s most popular holidays, a time for food, family and football in celebrations that date back to the earliest days of the nation. In fact, the history of Thanksgiving is more complicated than the national myths about “Turkey Day.” Here are some facts about the holiday that you […]
Over at Small Wars Journal, there’s an article about the Head-Hands-Heart Leadership Model that fits hand-in-glove with my own “Leading Leaders” philosophy. It’s a thoughtful and well written article about the basics of leadership: know yourself, know your people, know where you’re going. Leading people is a “whole person” kind of endeavor: we have to […]
Pixar’s Edna Mode has a few things to teach about leadership darling.
Hiring a vet is a great investment in your company.
I’m humbled whenever one of my fellow citizens comes up to me and thanks me for my service. Having served alongside some of the finest men and women I’ll ever meet, I can only accept those kind “thank yous” on their behalf. It’s an honor to serve, and I have the great privilege to serve […]
My latest on GeneralLeadership.com: When we returned to Hawaii after 13 years away, one of the first things I wanted to do was get back on my surfboard. After a little shopping around I found the perfect board: a basic, reasonably priced board, and then set off to re-conquer the Hawaiian surf. It would take […]
Near my home in Hawaii is a stream that leads out to the ocean where I often paddle my kayak. It’s also where the local outrigger canoe club practices. I’d seen the outrigger canoes many times on television, but the first time I found myself in the water with them I was surprised by the […]