Leadership lessons from the war in Ukraine

You may already know that our main focus at Diamond6 is to "learn from the past, to prepare for the future".

We do need to get one thing straight. 

The past is 150 years ago when we talk about the Battle of Gettysburg and the leadership of President Lincoln during one of the greatest transitions in American history.

It is 80 years ago when Pearl Harbor was attacked, leading to our formal entry into World War 2.

And, it is 50 years ago when the Watergate scandal led to President Nixon's resignation.

Leaders must also learn from a more recent past. 

Almost 12 months ago, on February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. This move was a major escalation in a war that has been ongoing since 2014.

Nearly one year after this brazen move by Russian president Vladimir Putin, over 9,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, to include 500 children.

The world has also gotten a front row seat to the slow and steady crumbling of the Russian leader whose "iron fist" is experiencing a fight he did not expect, from Ukraine, the world, and increasingly, his own citizens.

Jeff is now offering the seminar, Leadership Lessons from the War in Ukraine to our clients. 

This can be a single presentation done in-person or virtually. It can also be part of a larger workshop. 

In this presentation Jeff uses current events in the war in Ukraine, stories from history, and thought-provoking questions to highlight and explain irrefutable leadership lessons that are critical for corporate, education, and nonprofit leaders to understand.  

Participants will learn key tenets of effective strategic leadership and where leaders often fail in implementing strategy. Plus, he identifies ways to create organizational cohesion and how to stay focused on what is most important, despite distractions.

Jeff also ties in his background in crisis leadership and the media to give participants a 360 degree view of the war, it's current impact, and future implications. 

This presentation was created due to demand. Clients in education, agriculture, and in business have been asking Jeff his thoughts and insights on this very topic. 

Understanding this recent past can help leaders at all levels prepare for the future. 

Interested? Feel free to send us an email to info@diamondsixleadership.comand we can send you more information.

[VIDEO] What happens after the super bowl?

We're less than two weeks away from the 2023 Super Bowl signaling the end of the football season. 

Here in Central Pennsylvania Eagles fans are thrilled to watch their team face off against the Kansas City Chiefs on February 12th. 

Of course we won't pass up this opportunity to marry football and leadership, once again. 

Three years ago we shared a post and VIDEO about leadership vs. management using Coach Garrett, former coach of the Dallas Cowboys, as a mini case study. 

While a seemingly simple concept, the difference between leadership and management often causes even the most senior person to stumble.

The consequences of not understanding and acting upon this difference can be costly - for leaders and organizations. 

In the NFL the consequence for your organization not being successful means losing your job as a coach. 

At the core of these difficult decisions often lies this important difference of leadership vs. management. 

As one coach put it, management is about dealing with data, like the things you can measure: how fast a football player can run, if he’s a lineman how much you can lift, how high you can leap if you’re a wide receiver.

Leadership is about heartbeat. How does a coach get his player inspired to play for the name on the front of the jersey rather than the name on the back. 

Want to see Jeff's video where he goes into greater detail about leadership vs management? CLICK HERE for the full article and the video. 

At Diamond6 we are incredibly impressed by the leadership displayed by Coach McDermott, both teams and organization, the medical professionals, and everyone involved in getting Damar Hamlin the help and support needed. May we continue to see such great examples of leadership and be inspired to lead with the same grace, integrity, and empathy.

81 years later...what we can learn from Pearl Harbor

On December 7th 1941, the Attack on Pearl Harbor was a turning point in the history of our nation and the world.

The war that followed lasted nearly four years, and the entire nation mobilized to meet this challenge.

But ultimately it was leadership at all levels, exhibited initially on this Sunday morning in Hawaii that allowed America to be successful.

Today, is the 81st Anniversary of the attack.

Here at Diamond6 we frequently use this event as a historical case study for workshops. Sometimes in a classroom, sometimes aboard a ship, and if we're lucky, even in Hawaii.

To commemorate this important day we want to take you back in time to a blog post we wrote for the 75th anniversary, in 2016. 

Just goes to show, leadership lessons from history are enduring!

As we reflect on the courage and sacrifice of the brave servicemen on that day, what can we discern about the actions of their leaders?

And what can we learn about leadership in a complex, rapidly evolving, high-pressure environment like the one we are living and working in today?
 

While there are innumerable leadership lessons that can be drawn from this event we have three examples.

They are as follows: 

• Leaders must act in a crisis and feel empowered to act.

• Leaders must challenge assumptions particularly during changing times.

• Leaders must promote organizational resilience.

CLICK HERE to read the full blog post, including brief stories about each of these examples that further illustrate their importance. 

This meeting changes everything for Diamond6, every time.

In two weeks our team will be having one of the most important meetings of the year. 

And, we've been having this exact meeting every year since the beginning of our company. 

We call it our end-of-year debrief. (Yes, we use some pretty snazzy names around here 😂)

It is our opportunity to review the past year and all areas of the business. 

We review our finances. 

We look at our marketing and communications. 

We talk about the workshops and events we've run.

We discuss what worked and what didn't. 

We decide what to keep the same, what to change, and how we can do better next year. 

We give each person (including our interns!) the opportunity to share their perspective and give constructive feedback. 

We eat, we laugh, we agree on a lot, and we may even disagree on a few things. 
 

Hands down, THIS meeting makes our team stronger, and Diamond6 better for our clients!

This is how we do it:

1. EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE: Each person on our team is responsible for bringing their "bucket of stuff" to the meeting. This means, each of us writes a list of our areas of responsibility, the current status of those areas, AND any changes, if any, they think need to be made. We create a master document where each person adds their "bucket." This way everyone can see what what is planning on being discussed. This might help remind someone else of a task or item to bring for discussion. Or, start to spark some new ideas to suggest at the meeting. We're a small business, there are no secrets!
   

2. EVERYONE SHARES: We take turns giving each person an opportunity to share and discus their list and recommendations. Our most senior staff goes last. Why? Because most often our team members will cover 90% of the areas we want to discuss anyway AND (newsflash!), they are often more informed than an owner or executive. It keeps us focused on each persons area of responsibility rather than jumping around from topic to topic.
   

3. EVERYONE IS RESPECTFUL: This should go without saying....this is a respectful meeting. Sure, there may be disagreements or different perspectives on HOW to solve a particular issue or challenge. But, at the end of the day we focus on what is most important - what is best for our clients and the business. This helps us focus on problem-solving and coming up with creative solutions.
   

4. EVERYONE GETS TO WORK: During our meeting we use our master list to take notes, capture decisions we've made, changes to implement, and so on. After the meeting this document is cleaned up and then each person has their "to-do list" for their particular area of responsibility. This helps hold each of us accountable - to the list and each other. Plus, it ensures we follow through on continuously making Diamond6 the best business it can be for you, our clients!

As you can see, our end-of-year debrief is a very collaborative meeting. It is only with everyone's inputs, talents, and creativity that we can do what we do.

This is what makes us a small, but VERY mighty team.

And, it is the best way to get a pulse on all areas of the business, celebrate the past year, and feel motivated for the next year.

Do you have an end-of-year debrief at your organization? Why or why not? What is it like and do you find it helpful?

Putin aggression against Ukraine

It is critical for leaders to stay informed about current events. Even, when it feels like what is happening halfway around the globe has no impact on us.

Because, what is happening thousands of miles away DOES and WILL have an effect on us.

And, we can always learn from other leaders - good and bad.

Jeff was recently interviewed by the Strategic Studies Institute regarding Vladimir Putin choosing a path of escalation in his unnecessary war of aggression agains the Ukraine.

The interview is based on an article Jeff wrote in the US Army War College Quarterly publication, Parameters. We've included links to both the article and podcast below.

It is imperative Western policymakers know the consequences and how he might escalate further.

In this podcast Jeff examines recent events on the battlefield; the implications of the announced annexation of territory, mobilization of forces, and threats to employ “all means” to defend Russian territory.

Jeff also discusses the domestic ramifications and Russian thinking on “hybrid warfare” and the possible weaponization of food and energy as Putin determines future escalatory steps.

SSI's goal with this podcast is to assist American and European leaders in determining policies to deal with the ongoing crisis at this moment and prepare for an uncertain future.

We believe that our Diamond6 leadership circle can also greatly benefit from what Jeff shares in this interview.