Last week we lost a distinguished American leaders, trailblazer, and military officer. I greatly admired Colin Powell for not only his incredible leadership. I admired him, and still do, for his honesty, integrity, and courage to do what he felt was right. Even when it meant admitting he had been wrong or he chose to go against popular opinion.
Read MoreAs a leader you should always be developing those who are coming up behind you. Make sure that if, or when you leave, your organization or team won’t miss a beat. They will catch the ball and keep right on dribbling it down the court. Think about who may be able to fill your shoes should your time come to step aside, retire, or move to a new organization. How can you make this person your “brain double” and “shadow” advisor?
Read MoreMost Americans don’t know much about the American Revolution. All most of us remember from school is “taxation without representation”, dumping tea into Boston Harbor, and the minutemen on Lexington green. A few more learned about Valley Forge, a guy named von Steuben who trained troops there, and the final victory at Yorktown. Can useful lessons to be learned from a war fought two centuries ago? I submit the answer is a resounding Yes!
Read MoreBeing a leader feels tricky and complicated at times. And, there are days when it's just hard! On top of that, there just never seems to be enough time to read and implement all the things that will help us get better. If you're feeling overwhelmed we've got you covered! Today we're starting a "5-minute leadership" series.
Read More2-D diversity creates a space where “out of the box” thinking is encouraged, and “crazy ideas” are heard. Teams and organizations with inherent AND acquired diversity benefit from greater critical thinking, innovation, and creativity. You can accomplish great things, overcome big challenges, and create innovative solutions. 2-D diversity also massively improves your bottom line.
Read MoreTom is the author of Flight 93, The Story, the Aftermath, and the Legacy of American Courage on 9/11. What I find so captivating about Flight 93 is how a group of 40 people came together for a united cause in only a few short minutes. The unlikely leaders that emerged, seemingly out of nowhere, to do the unthinkable - during and after the tragedy.
As with any momentous news story, we will get more answers to these questions, and others, as time goes by. I strongly encourage you to remain curious, stay informed, and not to jump to conclusions too quickly. What we can do is analyze and discuss President Biden’s and his predecessor’s decisions and the immediate implications of them. There are three main thoughts I have about what we have seen over the last few weeks and how leaders can learn and act as we move forward….
Read MoreSimone Biles certainly captured the headlines about a month ago with her decision to withdraw, citing her mental health, and a case of the “twisties”. Her honesty and candor aid in continuing important conversations about humanity, empathy, and self-care. I want to talk about something else. I want to talk about WHAT made it possible for Biles to share her struggles and difficult decisions with the entire world.
Read MoreExtraordinary leader, Lily Din Woo needs our help. This selfless leader and all around incredible human being was diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease in 2018 and now has End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Doctors advised Lily to seek a living kidney donor as soon as possible.
Read MoreAs a leader you should always be developing those who are coming up behind you. Make sure that if, or when you leave, your organization or team won’t miss a beat. They will catch the ball and keep right on dribbling it down the court. Think about who may be able to fill your shoes should your time come to step aside, retire, or move to a new organization. How can you make this person your “brain double” and “shadow” advisor?
Read MoreJuly 2nd, 1863 was the most important evenings in American history. On this evening two meetings took place. Both of which were focused on the central question of…“What are we going to do tomorrow?” HOW they answered this question and what they did changed us forever.
Read MoreAs the world opens up and we welcome some sense of normalcy back into our lives, navigating a post-pandemic world will continue to be incredibly stressful, and at times overwhelming. I would even go as far to say that leading yourself and caring for your mental health is most critical at this very moment. We owe it to ourselves and those we lead.
Read MoreAs we change out of our slippers and sweats into clothing more appropriate for the occasional (and long awaited!) in-person interactions, organizational leaders are faced with the next great pandemic problem....
Should we go back into the office, or not?
Read MoreResilience is the psychological quality that allows some people and organizations to suffer setbacks from life’s adversities and come back as strong as before — if not stronger. Here are two steps to follow to create more resilient employees and organizations.
Read MoreWhile vaccinations promise to help put an end to the pandemic, they will also bring on new challenges for leaders to manage. Sorry if you thought you were going to be allowed to finally take a deep breath! So, as you’re ramping up into phase two of the pandemic (aka “the how do we live with a vaccine" phase) you will be asked to lead into yet more uncharted territory. To do this successfully you must pause regularly and ask yourself two very important questions.
Read MoreIt is important for you to be proud of yourself and your work. But, if you take it too far, it will become dangerous. As a leader, you have to beware of the dangers of self-pride and arrogance.
To learn more about the hubris-nemesis dynamic, read on as Jeff & Tom address this topic with this week’s vignette and excerpt from their new book, Battle Tested!
Read MoreLeaders must be problem solvers. The ability to think beyond prescriptive solutions to complex problems while finding alternative, yet achievable, and successful ways to solve the problem at hand is essential. We call this out-of-the-box thinking.
To learn more about out-of-the-box thinking, read on as Jeff & Tom address this topic with this week’s vignette and excerpt from their new book, Battle Tested!
Read MoreWe have all probably heard the phrase “leadership is lonely” before… but how true is it?
To explore the nature of leadership and the importance of reflection., read on as Jeff & Tom address this topic with this week’s vignette and excerpt from their new book, Battle Tested!
Read MoreThis week's vignette & excerpt digs deep into making critical decisions! Jeff & Tom reference one of Col. John Boyd's most celebrated concepts (...and a D6 participant favorite!) the OODA loop.
To learn more about critical decisions, read on as Jeff & Tom address this topic with this week’s vignette and excerpt from their new book, Battle Tested!
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