Some of the worst things in life have permeated my life for decades.  During my career as a firefighter many years ago and again within these past few years, I have been witness to more destruction and needless loss of life than I care to dwell on.  In fact, it is something that I rarely talk about at all and then usually only with those folks who have seen it as well.  But there are the occasional deaths that defy the normal means of coping mechanisms and make it past all of those emotional defenses developed over the years.  (more…)

Several weeks ago I got into a discussion with a group of people that are having some leadership difficulties.  Actually, I mostly just listened to the conversation for what seemed like several hours.  While I was simply listening and taking it all in, I heard a number of things that could be attributed to or were caused by the leadership of the business or more appropriately, the lack thereof.  (more…)

I attended a business meeting the other day and I had another one of those moments that struck me as being so absurd, I just had to share it with all of you.  As with religion, one of the things that does not mix well with business is that of politics.  Now I am not referring to political leanings as they pertain to the various levels of government, what I am referring to is company politics.  Every company and organization has this disease, it’s just that some instances are much more entrenched than others.  And that my friends can get every bit as ugly as hard-nosed government politics during campaign season.

In spite of that, I have absolutely no problem with pointing out the idiocy of certain aspects of parliamentary mechanization when I see it.  Particularly, the one I feel most compelled to rail about is what I like to call the “Ostrich Syndrome.”  (more…)

Every so often I hear or see something so ridiculous that I just have to share it with others; this past Sunday evening was just such one of those special occasions.

The background is that during the course of the weekend, a particular vehicle went somewhere on a particular mission and a particular person “nearly fell out and got kilt!”  OK, that is not the exact wording but I am making this just cryptic enough so that most cannot figure out who, what, when and where because I’d rather that you focus on the deeper meaning.  Plus, if you appreciate my sense of humor, then you realize that I am already poking fun at the situation; but I digress…  (more…)

Continuing on with the leadership theme, the other day I received a newsletter that also addressed leadership.  The thing I find somewhat ironic about that is that it is in one of the sales newsletters that I subscribe to.  I never really thought of sales and leadership together, but after reading the article, it makes perfect sense to me now.  But taking it just one step further, much of what Jeffrey Gitomer discusses in the article can be applied to other industries and organizations just as readily.

The title of the article is “Can leaders influence without authority? …Hardly.“  (more…)

After many years and what has felt like just as many wandering paths, I have had a homecoming of sorts.  I am, once again, living in my hometown of Columbia, PA.  In fact, I am living just a few blocks away from the very house that I grew up in; making it hard to travel down any one of the streets and not have one-hundred and one memories come flooding back to me.  Especially hard at times is being under the same roof of the organization where I truly grew up.  (more…)