The age-old debate continues. Are leaders born or made? It is an interesting, if tired, debate that continues because it can never be definitively satisfied. Given the perspective of history, we attempt to answer the question for those leaders who have come and gone by evaluating the back-story of their lives and positing our best guess. I wonder if it is even worth the energy to fire the synapses in our brain thinking about it. (more…)
As we prepare to celebrate another Memorial Day, I can not help but reflect about the fundamental differences between my father’s generation and mine. Dad was part of what Tom Brokaw dubbed “the Greatest Generation,” so aptly named for their quiet accomplishments on the battlefields of World War II. Clearly they earned the moniker through their audacious achievements, so humbly understated. (more…)
There is certainly no shortage of information intended to help us improve our ability to lead. I just Googled “leadership” and 152,000,000 response returned in less than one second. Imagine if it took a whole minute. Talk about too much of a good thing. In our hyper busy, “no time to think about anything for more than three seconds world,” too much of a good thing is just another name for a bad thing. (more…)
The myth of the “great man” is alive and well as a romantic concept inside the corporate world. These individuals, the mythology asserts, are hard chargers with big egos that know how to get results and do not suffer fools. They are “larger than life” change agents who leave a big wake as they achieve big things in bold ways. Too bad it is not really true. (more…)
In the hyper competitive job market today, if you are not moving ahead you are almost certainly falling behind. The best way to move ahead, either in your current job and company, or any other is to champion your own professional development. Simply stated, development is the “engine” that powers your career. To take on new skills and apply them effectively to solve business challenges is to separate yourself from the crowd and get noticed. (more…)
