Like a Boy Scout Your Job is to be Prepared

Have you seen that commercial when your heart attack leaves you a post and notes to tell you that it is coming? The idea is that, of course, a heart attack does not tell you the time and day it will arrive. Truly our job is to be as healthy as possible everyday so that the heart attack does not happen. From my perspective the same is true of our communication skills. It is our job to be as prepared as possible every day to face the challenges we know about and those that surprise us. It is our job to raise our skill set so that an off day is still better than most people’s good day.

 

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Preparing for the Unexpected

There is an old saying that luck favours the prepared, but how do you manage unanticipated change? What do you do if your company unexpectedly shifts direction?  Is it possible to make the most of unforeseen change? One mentee did just that. While working for a client, I had an opportunity to help fulfil a key position in their broadcast division. This role had been a challenge to fill, and I happened to receive a phone call from a former mentee named David at just the right time. He was looking for a new opportunity and met the requirements for the position. I was very excited for him, and he did well through his interviews. The organisation realised they had someone with the experience to take the job, and the team to the next level, and they offered him the job. His experience was solid, but he was walking into a challenging role. The team was in desperate need of a leader, who could roll up his sleeves, help them and, at the same time, develop the future direction. The team members had been with the organisation under several management styles and had a lot of adjustments to do, as well…

 

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Leadership Lessons from my Grandmother—Resolving Conflict

A few days ago a person I have mentored asked me a great question, I was asked--from whom did I receive my greatest leadership lessons? I have been blessed to wear the cloth of the United States as a U.S. Marine. Over the past 30 years, I have had the opportunity to lead thousands of Marines and civilians both as a Marine Officer and a businessman. I have been trained, educated in the subtle art of leadership as well as having taught, coached, mentored others in refining their leadership skills. Clearly I was going to point to one or a host of experiences in uniform that were most significant in sharpening my leadership skills. I had to admit, to my mentee’s surprise, the most memorable leadership lessons I ever had come from my Grandmother.

 

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