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
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.
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
A trilingual robot is greeting guests and answering their questions in an Italian hotel, and self-improving with each guest interaction. The robot has the capability to learn new things and improve its abilities through artificial intelligence…the more guests Robby Pepper the Robot speaks to, the better it gets at understanding accents, the subtle meaning of
Only 15% of workers globally reported being engaged in their jobs. That’s a leadership crisis that requires Soft Power Skills to solve.
Power Corrupts Try this experiment—think of times in which you felt powerful, such as when you felt very much in control of your life. Now, go take the empathy quiz at this link (you can scroll down past the introduction to take the quiz). Would you be surprised to know that feeling powerful may turn off
While the digitally-driven economy disrupts established ways, calling for workers with a balance of hard and soft power skills, the old education system is failing to produce what employers need. There is a solution. Just like Amazon, Uber, or Airbnb, technology can cut out the middle man in paradigm-shifting ways, connecting potential employees with employer needs, and motivating learners through autonomy, relatedness, and competency.
