Service With a Smile…
Volume XXIII, Number 40 (Issue 1149) October 6, 2025 Service With a Smile… … on your face and in your voice. Sandy and I just returned from a trip to Chicago. For a change of pace, we opted to take Amtrak round trip from our home in San Antonio. In the past we have taken […]
So, You Think My Baby Is Ugly
Volume XXIII, Number 39 (Issue 1148) September 29, 2025 So, You Think My Baby Is Ugly out! No parent wants, let alone expects, to be told their baby is ugly. This applies to adoptive and biological parents alike. Similarly, it applies whether the child in question is a human offspring, one’s fur baby, an idea, or […]
Advice for a New Leader
Volume XXIII, Number 38 (Issue 1147) September 22, 2025 Advice for a New Leader Get out! Get out of your office and among your people. Go on a listening tour right away. Visit every office, market, and department. Use this opportunity to introduce yourself, share your vision for the organization, and enlist your people’s help […]
Letter to My Younger Self
Volume XXIII, Number 37 (Issue 1146) September 15, 2025 Letter to My Younger Self The standard approach to letters to one’s younger self relies heavily on an autobiographical model. This is done, I think, for a variety of reasons, ranging from providing context for the lessons learned to self-aggrandizement or penance to honoring the individuals […]
Right Answer, Wrong Delivery
Volume XXIII, Number 36 (Issue 1145) September 7, 2025 Right Answer, Wrong Delivery Have you ever spent time with someone in a position of authority who says the right things, but does not do them? Similarly, have you spent time with someone who says the right things, but their tone and facial expressions deliver a vastly […]
Seminal Moments
Volume XXIII, Number 35 (Issue 1144) | September 1, 2025 Seminal Moments When was the last time you experienced a seminal event? We have all had those moments when we paused, took stock, and more often than not, made a significant, perhaps radical, change in our course. I have had several pivotal moments where there was […]
Short Takes on Leadership – Part V
Volume XXIII, Number 34 (Issue 1143) August 18, 2025 Short Takes on Leadership – Part V Self-Aware Being self-aware is knowing one’s strengths, weaknesses, skills and knowledge gaps, along with areas that need (and are capable of) improvement. That said, the need for and value in self-awareness is not confined to those serving in a leadership capacity. […]
Short Takes on Leadership – Part III
Volume XXIII, Number 32 (Issue 1141) | August 11, 2025 Short Takes on Leadership – Part III Willingness to Make the Hard Decisions – In my experience, many of the tough decisions leaders are called on to make involve people. Some examples include reductions in force, termination for cause, designating a successor while telling someone else […]
Short Takes on Leadership – Part II
Volume XXIII, Number 31 (Issue 1140) | August 4, 2025 Short Takes on Leadership – Part II In last week’s issue we took a quick peek at the following leadership attributes: accessibility, paying it forward, intellectual curiosity, and open-mindedness. This week we will consider two more: self-discipline and ethical behavior. But first I want to offer […]
Short Takes on Leadership – Part I
Volume XXIII, Number 30 (Issue 1139) | July 28, 2025 Short Takes on Leadership – Part I During my fifty-plus year career I have had the good fortune to work for and with some incredible and some good leaders. I have also been around some not so good leaders, though calling those individuals “leaders” is a […]