The five stages of culture every organization passes through, and how to tell which one you’re really in. A car dealership executive told me about one of his service technicians not long ago. The man was finishing up a vehicle at the end of a long shift, and the executive stopped by and asked what … Read more
Setting the Azimuth takes a fair degree of hard work, and keeping it alive is a discipline that goes on every quarter after. Speaking of hard work, here’s an example of true dedication in leadership: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expedition ship Endurance became trapped in pack ice in the Weddell Sea in January 1915, and despite … Read more
A coral reef is one of the most beautiful and complex structures in the natural world. It is an entire ecosystem, alive and self-sustaining, every part depending on every other. And here is the amazing characteristic about a coral reef. No one built it. It occurred. You cannot commission a coral reef or draw up … Read more
Integrity is not what you say in the boardroom. It is what you do when no one is watching. When I was a young lieutenant in Germany, I had a platoon of about 41 Soldiers. We patrolled the East and West German border, and when we weren’t out at the border outposts, we worked on … Read more
The Army taught me a phrase early, and it shaped everything I have done since. Be the Standard. Know the task and the duties of your profession. Then do them, every day. You represent what right looks like. Be, Know, Do. Three words, and the order matters. Being comes first. Before you know anything technical and … Read more
A plan tells people what to do. Intent tells them what you’re trying to accomplish — so they can adapt when the plan meets reality. Years ago, commanding in a war exercise, I made a decision I have never forgotten. I attacked the enemy’s strength instead of his weakness. It was the wrong call, and … Read more
