Leadership as a Christmas Ornament

Leadership as a Christmas Ornament

Sooner or later it happens if you decorate enough Christmas trees. At some point you discover that almost all of the ornaments are handmade or have some special meaning. Discarded are those generic, store bought ones that looked pleasing to the eye but had no short...
Who’s your favorite mentor?

Who’s your favorite mentor?

Throughout your life and career, you’ve undoubtedly had a few mentors, even if they weren’t officially given the title. Your parents, teachers, coaches, bosses, pastors. All mentors. I’ve written about a couple of my best mentors: my dad–Ray...
Great Mentors Don’t Wear Rank

Great Mentors Don’t Wear Rank

Combat troops are generally better behaved in the field (where battle is likely to occur) than in the relative safety of the rear area. As an infantry unit commander in Viet Nam, I often wondered if it was related to the fact that military leaders remove all markings...
Mentoring Eagles

Mentoring Eagles

An eagle got the neighbors talking. My backyard fronts a large lake with a cove wrapping around each side of the lot. Peering out the side window early one morning, we spotted a giant American eagle struggling to get out of the shallow water in the cove and up onto...
The Mentor’s Message: Be the Best

The Mentor’s Message: Be the Best

When I was a boy my parents encouraged me to “be the very best.”  Back then, only the very best got a trophy!  Nowadays the Wheaties® cereal box mantra has changed to “just do your very best” and all the teams get a trophy just for playing.   It’s been a source of...