Upon entering the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs every June, basic cadets, called “doolies,” are given a small pocketbook of knowledge with quotes to memorize and repeat under stress. The quotes deal with self-discipline, airmanship, and especially leadership. Patton’s quote has been particularly influential in my life, and remains applicable for leaders
“Is that your final answer?” That famous phrase heard worldwide in different languages on the wildly popular game show “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?” meant that the time had come to make a final decision. Viewers sweated and felt the knotted stomach of emotional tension in the contestant. In my previous articles on decision-making,
Special days for appreciating and thanking mothers are celebrated around the world at different times in different cultures. In the United States, Mother’s Day is officially recognized on the 2nd Sunday of May. In honor of that tradition, here are some thoughts on what my mom taught me about leadership. Let’s start a conversation…Please share
To be a leader you don’t need to be the star of the show. Leadership doesn’t mean shining in front of everyone’s eyes. It’s about fulfilling your role, leading your team in support of something bigger than you.
Imagine driving down the highway, and suddenly a red flash cuts you off and zooms recklessly ahead, quickly disappearing in the distance. You think to yourself, “What a jerk! Thinks he doesn’t have to obey rules…he’s going to kill somebody! It figures he’s in a red Porsche…” And from that point you draw a conclusion
On 18 April 2018, Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 was passing 32,500 feet altitude, bound for Dallas from New York. Passengers heard and felt a large explosion, a sudden depressurization, and rapid turn and descent. A passenger was sucked half-way out of a blown-out window, severely injured from explosion shrapnel. In the chaos, the aircrew managed
When I was in the US Air Force, I witnessed several examples of the downside of goal-setting. The structure of promotion often rewarded holding certain positions over the actual performance in the position. One example particularly sticks in my mind of a “fast burner,” or someone on the fast promotion track, who was shifted over
Last year in June, the ATM celebrated its 50th birthday. So, if tellers have been “automated" for over 50 years, why do we still have tellers? And what does this tell us about the AI threat to jobs that everyone fears? Many people thought that the ATMs would eventually wipe out teller jobs, but in
Life is difficult, and we will encounter challenges. We’ll come to places where we need to step up and grow. This is a common story about everyone, told in different ways. Here’s one story about making a decision to change…to break barriers. Your Story: Your Experience of Soft Power Skills Academy from Soft Power Skills
“When we give feedback, we notice that the receiver isn’t good at receiving it. When we receive feedback, we notice that the giver isn’t good at giving it….the key player is not the giver, but the receiver.” Stone and Heen, Thanks for the Feedback Feedback is essential to our improvement—and our skill in receiving feedback
