Change can happen in an instant, or it can happen slowly, as a series of fits and starts over time. Change, a real constant, can be ignored or even denied for a time, but doing so seldom stops it or even slows it down. Change is inevitable, and it can be messy. Occasionally, change can…
Good leaders know what has to be done, and they can figure out how to get it done. Great leaders know what has to be done, they can figure out how to get it done, and they have the capacity to determine when best to do it. They know that timing can be everything. Timing…
It was going to be tough and he knew it. If he did it and did it well, an experiment in self-government that began in 1789 would continue. If he didn’t, it wouldn’t. In his first inaugural address, Lincoln stated his goal clearly and succinctly. “In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine,…
It’s short. If offered properly, it sends a clear message. How, to whom, and when you use it are three essential factors in either its success or its failure. It should only be used after rational, reasonable, and will-intended thought. An essential part of that thought process must include its potential for both intended and…
Leaders who refuse to take ownership of their decisions, are not leaders at all. Whether they blame others, offer excuses, or ignore reality altogether, leaders who refuse to accept responsibility when a plan or an initiative fails, sacrifice significant organizational credibility. They do so because they have abdicated one of the most essential responsibilities of…
What do the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001, and the Covid Pandemic of 2020, all have in common? Before they happened, they were essentially unimaginable. They were each well beyond the norm. They were by their very nature something that challenged the lessons of experience and pushed the…
When leaders diminish or lose their intellectual vigor, their leadership potential is quickly and unquestionably compromised. In such a weakened state, their effectiveness and their career longevity are significantly reduced. Empowered leaders are life-long learners. Their intellectual curiosity is active. When it comes to their ongoing development, they are never lazy. They know that the…
Just because something is equal does not mean it is equitable in its intent, its impact, or its net effect. In fact, totally equal treatment of unequal people is generally inequitable. This very real state of disequilibrium between equality and equity has been part of the human condition since the beginning of time. By simple…
Abraham Lincoln may have said it best. He was an unsuccessful candidate for a seat in the General Assembly of Illinois, nearly three decades before he would be elected President of the United States. In concluding his first political campaign statement offered on March 9, 1832 to the people of Sangamon County, Illinois, he said,…
A significant element of leadership, regardless of the type of organization being led, is the process of developing reasonable assumptions. Rational assumptions set the stage for organizations to plan, prepare, and act or react in their best interests. Even though assumptions may later prove to be incorrect, they need not permanently weaken nor destroy an…