Measuring the Wrong Things—Again
Sometime back, I heard a radio announcer give an example of his son, who played hockey. The coach had scolded the team to the point where, if they missed the net on a shot, he made them run “suicides.” Well, guess what…it didn’t take them long to respond. Soon they were just shooting the puck straight to the goalie.
Learning to Follow the Dots
I don’t know how many times I have heard someone say, “I took piano lessons for years but, I still can’t play much. When I ask them to play something, they say, “oh, I can’t unless I have music in front of me.” What a shame. I think this has a lot to do with why so many people give up piano lessons in frustration, and not just piano, but many other things.
“Blood and Guts” Expedition: Patton
Profane, impetuous, and flamboyant, Patton was easily the most colorful of the United States Army’s commanders in the west, and its leading genius in tank warfare. Behind his showmanship and audacity lay the imaginative planning and shrewd judgment that made him one of the great combat commanders of World War II.
Admiral Nimitz: the Moment of Truth
It was a bright, warm Hawaiian morning on 31 December 1941, when Admiral Chester W. Nimitz stepped aboard the submarine USS Grayling, moored in Pearl Harbor, for a brief 1000 ceremony in which he would assume command of the US Pacific Fleet, relieving Vice Adm. William S. Pye of the position after the 7 December attack there. But, throughout the area, the mood was anything but bright.
Mindset Check: Doing versus Accomplishing
One of the key principles that we at Trident Leadership emphasize, is that good leadership, by its nature, focuses on Accomplishing instead of just Doing. The question, “to achieve what,” is an uncompromising yet helpful one. What we find is that the typical organization or team is very task-oriented…with a posture eyes-down on what they do. Many businesses are like this.
Iwo Jima: 67 Years of Lessons
Sixty-seven years ago, 19 February 1945, Marines of the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions assaulted a horrible looking, other-worldly volcano called Iwo Jima. The 3rd Marine Division joined the battle soon after. They were there for the airfields. It would take them thirty-six days and more than twenty-six thousand casualties to do it.
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
I’ve come across this graphic a lot on the web, used for various “leadership” sites. The artist really does a nice job of representing what seems to be the prevailing perception of what leadership is…and misperception of what good leadership is.Oh, there are plenty of historical and current leaders that this graphic illustrates perfectly. One from the 1930′s comes to mind.
Service Excellence: A Reader’s Story
The following story was written by a long-time client/colleage of TeamTrident and is a stunning experience with Service. The Service Excellence is indeed going to highlight Continental Airlines again. However, the first airline she discusses is left unnamed…and is not Continental.Let’s be clear on this. How many of us have experienced something like this? Still, this is almost beyond belief.
Rushing through Autumn Leaves
Today was an opportunity I could have missed.
I got out on the bike today and enjoyed a ride through the Chickamauga Battlefield National Park. I had been in the office working all morning, trying to coordinate upcoming events, keeping up with an expedition that’s overseas right now, and trying to keep the new business filling the pipeline. I grabbed a late lunch and then, in the middle of the day, I found myself outdoors, whistling through the autumn leaves, gazing around at the gorgeous golden colors, avoiding the deer grazing along the side of the road, and filling my lungs with fresh, perfect air.
Leadership Expedition: Band of Brothers
Team Trident is on the move again. This time a team is journeying through Europe, following the wartime experiences of “E” Company, 506th PIR, the famed “Band of Brothers.”
The small team, led by TeamTrident colleague Jay Holmes, begins their expedition in Toccoa, Georgia, and will work their way from Aldebourne, England to Berchtesgaden and the “Eagle’s Nest.” While Jay is not carrying his laptop with him, he is armed with his phone and will endeavor to keep a stream of photos coming back, along with a few short updates as they advance. I will attempt to serve as the CIO…and do what I can to keep things together so we can follow their progress, then look forward to hearing more details on their return.
Steve
