Students of the discipline of leadership frequently debate which of the many traits among leaders is the most important leadership trait to possess. There is an argument for integrity, but we have all seen that men and women can inspire people in one facet of life whilst being untrue to themselves and others in other more compartmentalized places. There is an argument for vision. Clearly an important and vital component of a leader. Without a clear depiction of what you are w

Welcome to The Leadership Student. Lets get right after it! What motivates you to lead? What part of your psyche enjoys the challenge of getting other people all pointed in the same direction to achieve a goal?   Leadership is not an easy undertaking. At some point during your journey you come to realize that you will likely never “know it all.” How could you? Each engagement deals with different people and with different people comes different motivations, different experien

Mistakes can be brutal. Some consistently float just below the surface and provide a constant reminder of wrong moves or decisions. While other mistakes can sting just enough to plant the seed for future growth. The truth of it is, if not placed in their proper context, our mistakes can plant deeper roots than our successes. What we learn becomes the basis of our experience and how we respond to those mistakes develops the content of our character. The trick, in your leaders

What is your brand of leadership? When you are tapped for a new position, what qualities are present in your tool set which make you an attractive option to the boss? Over the course of your leadership journey, you have acquired skills necessary to engage in the processes of leading teams and managing resources in pursuit of a focused objective. Or so you hope. Lets get right to it. Your reputation and brand enter the room long before you do; at least they do in most organiza

Developing skills as a leader is a process of growth.  One typically begins his or her journey building on a “tool-kit” of what they believe to be absolute beliefs and a system for getting things done. As an eager, wide-eyed teenager, I was exposed to and experienced positional leadership.  As a young man of college age, I was exposed to peer leadership (still the most difficult in my estimation). While serving in the USMC, I was exposed to a combination of authoritarian and

Here in the U.S., as we get into the depths of 2016, we will begin to evaluate job applicants for the biggest leadership role in the free world. The job requirements represent a laundry list of traits, experiences and abilities. There will almost never be a candidate who personifies all of the characteristics, but the choice becomes a decision between the candidates who get closest to the mark and the ones who are not even in the zone. So, what am I looking for from this indi

Accountability is defined as the willingness to accept responsibility. The definition is clear and without ambiguity. It can be further described as the point in leadership where absolute responsibility resides. President Truman is famously quoted as saying, “The buck stops here.” In the naval service it is not uncommon for a ships captain to be relieved of his or her duties if something untoward happens to the vessel while under their command. The Captain can be asleep in th

As we welcome the new year we are all drawn to the idea of a clean slate. We have developed an ability to view the new year with a sense of high optimism.  What, if anything, will the new year bring us?  What types of leadership challenges will we face?  At the end of it all, what will we have accomplished?  Our attitudes and actions guide most of what we accomplish, so for those looking to achieve great things my suggestion is quite simple; ACT and ACT NOW! I’m personally co

In a world filled with crisis and the need to respond to events in real-time, is there room for a more “Zen-like” approach to leadership?  Is there time for a patient approach to decision-making?  People have extolled the virtue of patience to you for as long as you can remember.  Your parents attempted to teach you the value of a patient approach to nearly all things; your teachers in high school and college would likely often explain that it took time for some to grasp the

Youngsters are sponges.  At a very early stage in their development, youth begin to emulate what they see from the adults around them.  They begin to act like you, think like you and yes, lead like you do.  There are an endless amount of responsibilities in parenting or being in any position of responsibility where children are concerned.  Sometimes, if you pause to think of the overwhelming gravity of what you are charged with, it can be daunting, to say the least.  Chief am

One of the many traits that were seared into my brain, during my service as a U. S. Marine, was the concept of completing the task.  As a way of honoring the service of my many fellow veterans, I thought I would make an entry about the finality and completeness of task accomplishment, which was a trait impressed upon us all during our time in uniform.  There are few things more troubling in the realm of leadership than an unfinished assignment or the knowledge that when deleg

Poise is a key attribute for leaders. A calm approach to decision-making leads to success in the crisis environment. At the ripe old age of 9 or 10 years old, I recall receiving some salient advice on leadership during crisis from my favorite cartoon at the time.   A character stated, “The less time you have, the more you have to use it wisely.” It’s amazing what stays with you, but this statement has drifted in my mindscape all of these years. Crisis management is not about

As I watched my college Alma mater leave it all on the field this past weekend, as they always do, I am reminded of my days in the leadership crucible which was my college experience.  I decided very early that I wanted to attend one of the U.S. Service Academies.  I was one of the lucky ones who saw my dream become a reality.  Averaging about a 6% acceptance rate for today’s college bound seniors,  I recognize I would likely not be admitted today due to the sheer competitive

Attitude is everything.  There, I said it.  There are few ingredients as important to a successful professional life as your individual attitude. Life can be challenging and work is hard enough without bringing a poor attitude to the situation.  There are numerous essential characteristics to being a good leader.  I hope to cover most of them during the course of my blogging career, but few are as important as the attitude you take into any given situation.  I have always bel

Some years ago I had the pleasure of joining a team of professionals engaged in an iterative process meant to highlight accomplishments and make leaders aware of shortcomings. It was one of the best years of professional growth in my life. I was thrust into a group of highly competitive professionals and challenged nearly every day. When you find yourself in such an environment you have exactly two options – sink or swim.  The big take away in any internal consulting process

I have been involved in a few recent discussions concerning integration and productivity.  The challenge is always the same.  How do we better integrate our various business practices in an effort to increase our productivity and effectiveness?  I say the challenge is always the same because at the end of the day everything seems to be about increased productivity – a theme I’ve covered in previous blogs.  How do we take a new look at the accepted practices which very well ma

We are on the cusp of a new season in the NFL. In the next two weeks and through early February the weekends of many American households will be dominated by gameplay from Thursday evenings through Monday night.  You could spend a whole book on the love of this game and what attracts people to its visual excitement, strategy, statistics and off-field stories. One of the aspects I find deeply interesting is the clear definition of roles and responsibilities. Each of the 32 tea

Eagles are regal birds of prey.  They have a look and disposition that commands attention and respect for their capabilities and strengths.  It would be a shame to have one caged and not allowed to soar, as is part of their natural proclivity.  The same can be said for the most talented of your employees.  Hopefully, you have had a fair number of leadership experiences at this point.  In those experiences you will recognize that subordinate capabilities vary from person to pe

First, let me apologize to all of my fellow lovers of the venerable German Shepherd Dog or GSD, as they are commonly called by those who love them.  This post is not about getting your dog to a better state of productivity.  In my primary profession, I see people languish daily under a cloud of action-paralysis.  Our jobs are difficult and because there is no perfect manual to ensure success you find some folks caught in a continual loop of inactivity or one not capable of yi

Few would argue against the belief that modeling leadership is really the best form of instruction.  As students of this art, we often look for examples in everyday life that embody the characteristics of leadership we desperately want for ourselves. Like some, this modeling was something I recognized at a very young age.  The examples were all around me; my parents, teachers and other influential luminaries moving through my life and their own.  This particular example I wil