A New Year Resolution that will Always Work
It’s the time of the year where we begin executing our New Year Resolutions. Planning to make a change in the new year makes…
Article archive
All leadership articles
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Faith, Family, and Fitness
2021 is nearly complete, and, in a way, I’m glad. Despite many successes, this year has been difficult for me. As a small business…
The Toxic Leadership of Urban Meyer
At just 13 games, Urban Meyer had one of the shortest tenures of an NFL head coach, and even that was too long. The…
The Grinch who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom before Christmas
What kind of boss fires 900 employees on Zoom right before Christmas? When you think you’ve seen the worst in corporate leadership behavior, a…
Why We All Need Friends at Work
Do you have a best friend at work? It might just be the secret to happiness and success. My son joined the Navy last…
The Unexpected Leadership Lessons of Elf
It’s officially Christmas season and full confession – at one business I led, I used to dress up as Buddy the Elf (yellow tights…
Looking to Start a Business? Read this One Book First
Close to 4.5 million new businesses were started in the United States in 2020, making it the highest year on record. New business start-ups…
Hope is More Powerful than Strategy
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “hope is not a strategy.” While I generally agree with that statement, I would argue that hope is essential…
Who’s to Blame When a $3 Billion Submarine Runs Aground?
On October 2, the U.S. nuclear attack submarineUSS Connecticuthit an unknown underwater object while operating submerged in the South China Sea. 11 sailors were…
Great Leaders Unite, not Divide
On January 20, 2021, President Joe Biden delivered a powerful message of unity in his inaugural address. Today, on this January day, my whole…
Disasters Happen when Leadership Fails
When leaders fail to lead, the results are often devastating. On July 12, 2020, an arsonist set a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS…
If You Want to Be a Great Leader, Try Following
The best leadership lessons are often learned when we put ourselves in the role of a follower. This past week, I went on my…
Who’s Gonna Carry the Boats?
Have you seen the video of former Navy SEAL David Goggins working out with endurance athlete Cameron Hanes? In the video, Goggins is bench-pressing…
The Crushing Weight of Bureaucracy
When I started my corporate career, I worked for a global company led by the hard-charging CEO, Percy Barnevik. He believed in pushing decision-making…
What Happens When Leaders throw People Under the Bus?
The American public witnessed two colossal leadership failures in the past month – a botched withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan and an uncontrolled migration…
What Norm Taught us about Pursuing Perfection
Legendary comedian Norm MacDonald passed away at the age of 61-years-old this week. The former Saturday Night Live star was known for his deadpan…
The Problem with Mandates
There have been more than 15,000 books written on the subject of leadership but, when you boil it down, leadership is about inspiring people…
The Biggest Untapped Resource in Your Organization
What if I told you that you could find all the answers to the problems facing your business inside the four walls of your…
Let Go and Let Others Grow
You’ve probably seen this yourself – a leader with a control problem. Many bosses would rather die than let go of the control they…
Can Leadership be Taught? What Most Companies Get Wrong
Have you ever considered the question of whether leadership can be taught? There has always been a lot of debate about whether leaders are…
Do You Want to Be a Great Leader? Ditch the Cape
What does it mean to be vulnerable as a leader? At 32 years old, my company promoted me to plant manager even though I…
When Stressing Out Employees is a Good Thing
I was nervous but trying not to show it. Once the previous watch officer left, it suddenly hit me. I was in charge of…
Eliminating Us and Them using this Simple Technique
One of the biggest things I noticed in the business world after spending years working on a submarine was the physical separation of employee…
Excellence Attracts Excellence
Last week the 2020-21 Tampa Bay Buccaneers players and coaches were awarded their Super Bowl LV rings. Shortly after that, Tom Brady took to…