Lessons in Leadership

Good leadership is seldom about your public persona. More often it is about what your staff is accomplishing in the background. Don't forget to share the credit.

Lessons in Leadership

Entrust important responsibilities to key staff whenever practical. Before doing so, evaluate the likelihood of achievement and provide sufficient coaching to ensure success. Not only will this improve both the competence and self-reliance of staff, it may come in handy if you are called away from work by an unanticipated distraction.

Lessons in Leadership

Never reprimand a direct report* in public. Instead, invite the direct report to meet you in a private space with pleasant lighting and chairs with comfortable pillows. Offer a cup of coffee. Throw out a little meaningless banter. Then, when you sense the direct report is sufficiently relaxed, deliver the rebuke with a smile.

A word of warning: In some circumstances, it may be necessary to firmly remind the direct report that you are the boss.
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* An underling in the corporate hierarchy

Lessons in Leadership

When hopelessly lost in an Alaskan ice cave and quickly running out of food and water, strike a heroic pose whenever possible. No need to alarm the poor fools who followed you into the cave.

Is this how he got his name?

I decided to write a sonnet last weekend. Don’t ask me why, I just did. But before I began, I thought a cozy wood stove fire might improve my creativity. My cat, Smokey, thought otherwise.

Photo for my next book

A dear friend suggested that I use this photo for my next book. He took it with an "old school" 35mm SLR in Denmark in 1975. What do you think?