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In a career, climbing the ladder often refers to vertical movement through an organizational hierarchy. Are you ascending the ladder of personal development or are you watching someone else go higher while you whittle away time? Are you trying to climb the ladder of development by yourself or are others helping you? The photo shows…
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The photo depicts a life size diorama of a World War I German solider cutting barbed wire. The display is from the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and is a perfect illustration of how we become tangled up and caught in the wire with the circumstances of life. We are eight…
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In last week’s blog post, I mentioned an online article titled, Why Your Dog Follows You Everywhere, According to Behaviorists by Katelyn Chef. The article described “imprinting,” when “young puppies up to six months of age can imprint on their owners and learn to read social cues as they would their birth mother.”1 Imprinting and…
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The photo shows our dog Java. She is a fifteen-pound, Toy Australian Shepherd/Rat Terrier mix, and in my opinion one of the smartest dogs walking around on four legs. When Java first became a part of our family, she would shy away from me. But over time, by picking her up, holding and petting her,…
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Do you believe a generation gap exists in our society? Do you complain that the younger generation does not listen, or they do not care? As a leader entrusted with the care of others, are you bridging or creating generation gaps? The authoritative battalion chief Periodically, I met with another battalion chief from a neighboring…
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In October 2021, media outlets including USA Today ran a story showing video of one alligator eating another alligator in Horry County, South Carolina.1 The video is an incredible account of one large reptile gobbling up a smaller one. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, “Alligators will eat almost anything, including each…
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In the January 10th blog, I wrote, “as leaders if we do not have a plan to develop ourselves, then we resemble the steel ball inside a pinball machine. Bouncing off the bumpers and making a lot of noise but showing little progress for the effort.” How do you create a leadership development plan that…
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In last week’s blog, I encouraged people to start a leadership journal for 2024. I also referred to a leadership development plan. In my book The Furnace of Leadership Development, How to Mold Integrity and Character in Today’s World, I wrote, “In order to develop as leaders, we must map the route and not rely…
Read MoreMany of you began 2024 with goals and New Year’s resolutions (resolutions that are quickly broken). To help you develop into a better leader, create a leadership journal using your computer, phone, or yes, even paper. Pour a cup of coffee and ask yourself the following questions: Moving forward from this point, it is important…
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My blog for November 22, 2023, was titled Brick and Mortar: Certified or Qualified? I compared bricks to certifications and qualifications to the mortar that holds the bricks together to build a solid career structure. Walking through the smoke In the photo above, notice the firefighters walking through the smoke. The smoke is acrid, stinging…
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