In 1846, the weapon of choice for Army Officers was the saber.  At West Point, the Academy for training officers for the Army, they needed someone to teach the cadets how to use the saber. They went to Paris, France and selected a “Fencing Master”, Patrice d’Janon, to come to West Point and gave him […]

There is a leadership crisis in our culture. Politics. Business. Sports. Families. Wherever you turn the results of this crisis are evident. Some of the symptoms are political stalemate, lack of trust, dysfunctional teams, cheating in athletics or broken homes. There are a lot of approaches to fixing these symptoms. But the problem is we […]

Some organizations do not have people ready to step into a vacant leadership position. The issue in most of these situations is not a lack of talent, but a lack of people development. And that is the leader’s job. If you’re people are not growing, you are probably not leading. People are what make the […]

Don’t be deceived. Self-discipline is not just about ourselves. We often think of self-discipline as it relates to diet, exercise, or other personal goals. But as a leader, our self-discipline effects those we are called to lead as well. People don’t follow us because of what we can do. They follow us because of WHO […]

We are not going to candy coat this blog with euphemisms. Let’s just be honest with ourselves. A liar tells lies. A coward is too scared to do what is right. An egomaniac puts himself first. When we use a euphemism to describe our behaviors, it is usually a tool to make us feel better […]

Thirty-four years ago this week, I entered the United States Military Academy at West Point as part of the Class of 1988.  That first week, we had to learn the West Point Cadet Prayer. This week the Class of 2022 began their journey as part of the “Long Gray Line”. The Cadet Chapel at West […]

My best friend, Donnie Tillar convinced me to go to West Point.  He was a year older than I was.  Thanks to his persuasiveness I joined my childhood friend as part of the Corps of Cadets.  This is a Memorial Day tribute to Donnie. This is worth reposting annually. Donnie And Dave Graduation Day A […]

www.MYCHARACTERTEST.com It’s Free and It’s Private! New!   Becoming a Leader of Character – ONLINE Seven 15 minute Mini Courses For individuals or groups Start and Stop at your convenience Learn Online Here Dave Anderson – Leadership Author, Speaker, Trainer, and Character Evangelist I truly believe people follow us because of WHO WE ARE and […]

If a blogger/consultant screams on the internet does anyone notice?  I was wondering when I left my comfortable job in the corporate world if people would hear me when I screamed. I read a lot about consulting in the months before starting my company and in the months since.  There was a lot of great […]

“Your attitude is a choice. Make a different choice!” My dad, The General, always had a way with words. No matter how big my pity party was, he could cut right through it with that statement. Telling me I could change my attitude was teaching me to exercise Positivity. Leaders lift others up. They don’t […]

“He’s doing the job. In fact, he is meeting every performance goal we have for him. But….” It’s what comes after the “But” that can drive leaders crazy and cause sleepless nights. Unfortunately, many leaders will put up with what comes after the “But” because the performance metrics are being met. It is a tough […]

I know why you said what you said!  I know why you did what you did!  I am able to diagnose your motives.  Because I believe I know your motives, I am sure you are the problem and not something else–like me! These are all lies.  But, they are lies that we easily fall into.  […]

There is a woman I know who does nothing but serves others. Every time I see her, she is helping or offering to help others. I am amazed at her energy and her constant giving. She is always in a good mood! Who are the biggest servants you know? I am talking about the people […]

They were in their robes and ready to be done with high school. I was the only thing between them and graduation and the family celebrations to follow. As the keynote speaker, I knew I better keep it short and do everything I could to make it memorable. I spoke about the choices they all […]