A little later this evening I'll be presenting on buy-in and leadership. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite topics and modules. The history here is the 96 hours that Abraham Lincoln lived, October 1 through October 4, 1862. Several people have asked me to write a book around this stretch of days. I think they're right. I should write a book. In fact, maybe I'll broaden the topic slightly … [Read more...]
A Leadership Point From The Trial Of George Zimmerman
July 15, 2013 by
Don't know if you'll see this anywhere but I have something to offer from a leadership perspective. I have lots to say or write about the event of the trial and the incident of the shooting but won't do so unless you and I have a chance to chat together or write one another at some length. The point: sometimes, the best decision on communication is to wait for the appropriate venue of … [Read more...]
Fist in the Hand
May 9, 2013 by
As a leader, you communicate. Your way of communicating is inseparable from your way of leading. Let me share a quick insight from the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt. By the time he is President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt has developed a gesture of communication. It's forming one of his hands into a fist and then pounding into the open palm of his other hand. Like the title to … [Read more...]
The Lincoln Way
August 8, 2012 by
Next week I am scheduled to be one of the featured speakers at an event. In trying to practice what I preach, I’m using history. In this case, I’m following the example of Abraham Lincoln. Whenever Lincoln had a speech to give, he developed it in a unique way. He would mull the speech in his mind before he wrote anything. He found ideas, phrases, words, and images that best fit the occasion. … [Read more...]
Flight 1549: Sullenberger’s Regret
June 10, 2011 by
One of the most provocative moments in my session on Flight 1549 and your leadership is the question about Sullenberger's interaction with passengers during the ill-fated flight. He only speaks to them once while they are airborne. He states, "Brace for impact." In hindsight, Sullenberger has admitted that he regrets his overall silence with the passengers. I've researched the flight very … [Read more...]
Generational Differences: First Reactions
March 3, 2011 by
First time to have talked about generational differences in a formal presentation, and the first reactions were very strong. To give you a flavor of it, an audience member approached me afterward to say that he had endured over 20 of these generational presentations at conferences. This one, he said, was by far the best, the only one that gave him something worthwhile to use. Music to my … [Read more...]
The Commodity Conversation
February 7, 2011 by
Too often these days we engage in commodity conversations. A commodity conversation is one where two people meet and talk. One of the two people is a person with a clear need to ask or request something of the other person--maybe it's an introduction to someone else, a potential job opportunity, or another such thing. Whatever it is, the object has a fundamental theme: it will benefit the person … [Read more...]
Personal Exasperation
December 22, 2010 by
Today I visited my local Verizon store. My task was to check on a bill, seeing what my options were for reducing costs. I suspect you've had a similar task, for which you either volunteered or were drafted, conscripted, and dragooned into performing. And in this instance I experienced serious personal exasperation. The attendee at the desk took ten minutes to notice me. Then, I was asked if I'd … [Read more...]
More Reaction to Lincoln and One-Armed Man Video
December 10, 2010 by
One of my viewers of the One-Armed Man video sent an email to me with his reaction. Beyond thoroughly enjoying it, he said he was "surprised" at the content. When I pressed for a little more explanation, he said that it shocked him that someone yelled out in the middle of the president's speech. "It was a different era," this viewer concluded. I think this is a point to ponder. Maybe we've lost … [Read more...]
