Rule of Holes and Illustration

Rule of Holes

Leaders Remind Us of Who We Really Are

“There is nobody in this country who got rich on his own,” Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren says in the clip below, “Nobody.”

She points out that entrepreneurs and business owners rely on a vast array of public services and that part of the American social contract is to give back to the society that has provided an environment in which everyone can safety and freely pursue business success.

You loose in the marketplace, you pay no tax and can even offset personal gains with other business losses. You win big, you pay big. It's called a progressive tax system and has been a part of the American landscape since 1913.  Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and other billionaires understand this principle... the "minimize all taxes" crowd does not.

Democratic Capitalism 101

Real Leadership

The dynamic 21st-century business environment requires leaders who are comfortable dealing with both ambiguity and complexity. How do we develop the next generation of leaders, who must be prepared to continuously learn, change, and innovate and do so faster than our global economic adversaries? The key question is simple, but finding the answers for developing these adaptive leaders is the number-one imperative for the continued health of our nation.

(1) Separate Facts and Values in their thinking. Ideology must never be the sole driver of decisions and policy because ideology bends, selects, and ultimately distorts the facts in service of a "higher" goal. This is true at the individual, team, organization, and even national levels. Reality is what it is and is never changed by human wishful thinking. Only by beginning our thinking with a search for the facts, and only the facts, can our values -- which set priorities and boundaries for action -- find the best expression.

(2) Put mission & followers ahead of themselves. Leadership is a responsibility, not a reward. The military leader is preoccupied with both "men and mission", and exercises the authority of rank as a last resort of influence, never a first resort. The non-military leader should not be held to a lower standard. Of course leaders should be well paid, but those who seek maximum financial compensation for their efforts are opportunist, not leaders. History teaches us to beware those who see aggrandizement of either their office or themselves. It took a great leader, Harry Truman, to put a brilliant but pompous Douglas MacArthur in his place.

(3) See Means and Ends as Siamese twins. A philosopher could argue that there aren't any "ends" in life, only the certainty of bodily death though it may be useful to distinquish means and ends as a tool for clear thinking and problem focus. But engaging in reprehensible means to pursue noble ends is a self-delusional trap. One can cheat and "win", but the victory is not only empty but makes ultimate success less likely.

Army Focused on Developing Leaders Who Can Adapt

Leadership is about knowing but even more about learning. The mark of an effective leader is that she quickly learns from mistakes, and then can get promoted to go on and make bigger mistakes!

In warfare, a single mistake can cost lives, but the ability to anticipate enemy actions and more generally ADAPT to a new tactical or strategic environment makes deadly errors less likely. Developing such leaders is now the key focus of the American Army:

The dynamic nature of the 21st-century security environment requires adaptations across the force. The most important adaptations will be in how we develop the next generation of leaders, who must be prepared to learn and change faster than their future adversaries. Simply put, developing these adaptive leaders is the number-one imperative for the continued health of our profession.

GEN Martin E. Dempsey is the commanding general, ATC, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Leadership During a Recession

The question for leaders is not, "Will we recover from the recession?" The question is, "Will recession recovery under my leadership create a stronger, better performing organization?"

These extraordinary times require adaptive leaders. Habits and practices that have built success and economic dominance are being turned on their heads, threatening our incomes and security. Leaders take the brunt of the common fear response these disruptions evoke and bear responsibility for doing the right thing during difficult times.

So how does an effective leader respond?

Open publication - Free publishing - More ooda loop