It stung! No doubt about it. A few months after Bob left the company, I found out he had pulled the wool over my eyes. I got burned by someone I had trusted. He faked his work activity reports. He forged signatures of clients. There were even rumors of him talking to me on the […]

“Listen until it hurts!” – Steve Wiley, Lincoln Leadership Institute I have to work at listening well.  I know I can look someone in the eye, nod with conviction, and be thinking about something else.  At other times, I hear the first sentence and spend the rest of my time formulating my rebuttal. Listening is […]

In a new 30 minute format, Dave Anderson discusses Creating Positive Conflict and Courageous Communication with Steve Wiley owner of The Lincoln Leadership Institute at Gettysburg, PA.  This is Steve’s second time on IMPACT Talk Radio. All past and current podcasts also available on iTunes. (Over 1,800,000 downloads to date!) Other resources -free PDF downloads […]

I just returned from my 25 year West Point reunion.  It was great to be with friends who went through the same trials and tribulations I did in order to graduate from America’s premier leadership development school. A few quick impressions: Those guys looked old! We aren’t losing our hair.  We are gaining forehead. West […]

He sat across from me for 90 minutes.  He demonstrated drive, humility, sales skills, and the character I love to hire.  The problem was his background.  I was hiring for a high-end medical sales position.  But, he was selling dumpster pick-up service to restaurants.  I really liked Jeff.  But I hired someone else because Jeff […]

“What do you think of your team’s execution?” Coach John McKay was asked.  “I’m for it!”  McKay replied.  The expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished that season winless and McKay captured the hearts of coaches everywhere with that comment. Whether it is in sports or in business, leaders often spend endless hours preparing strategies to insure […]

Cowardice and courage are obvious before and during battle.  In 1991, I witnessed another 1st Lieutenant back out of mission that I later volunteered for as a result of his cowardice. In another part of the battlefield, I had a friend dismount from his tank and walk his platoon through a minefield while under enemy […]

If we are not developing our people, we should stop calling ourselves leaders! I don’t know why leaders ignore the coaching part of their jobs. But I work with so many organizations and hear the same story again and again. “I never hear from my boss unless something is wrong.” “I get feedback once a […]

Use a blog to build leaders!  Really?  My answer is yes.  Leaders need simple, actionable tools for leadership development.  How does a leader find time to build leaders when there are so many other tasks that demand a leader’s time and energy? Blogs are a great resource, and they are not labor or time intensive.   […]

It was a good old knock down, drag out fight.  We had chosen our sides and were all vehemently sure of our positions. In Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, he expends 20% of his thesis on the need for healthy conflict on a team.  He says, and I believe, that without conflict […]

Dave Anderson discusses what’s wrong with business leadership today and how to fix it, with Gordon Curphy best selling author of Leadership-Enhancing the Lessons of Experience. All past and current podcasts also available on iTunes. (Over 3 Million downloads to date!) Please rate us on iTunes as well. Other resources -free PDF downloads of character-based interview […]

Loyalty and integrity are two character traits I think we all desire in ourselves and in others.  I like loyal people.  They are friends and co-workers I know I can depend on.  It does not matter how bad the situation may be.  I know I can count on the loyal people in my life. I […]

This is a copy of the last blog written by a student from the Brook Hill School who went to Uganda over spring break.  It also happens to be my 16 year old son, Jake. I may be biased, but this is better than anything I have ever written. See what K.I.S.S.  means to a […]

Temptation hits me everyday.  I am tempted by a lot of things I wish I wasn’t:  French fries, Buffalo wings, the SI Swimsuit issue, naps, and sarcasm are just a few.  This is just a sub-set of a much larger list. But the most insidious temptation in my life is lying.  What I used to […]