Category: Current Events

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David Guerra’s Walking Leader Podcast Episode 87 – NOW ONLINE

In this 19 minute podcast episode, host David Guerra talks about the 10th rule in his book the Walking Leader and talks about Leadership in the News.

Rule #10 of the Walking Leader is CATCH THEM IN THE ACT OF DOING SOMETHING GOOD. When walking the company floor, it behooves a Walking Leader to get out there and catch them in the act of doing good, exemplary work. It is not always just bad news.

In his LEADERSHIP IN THE NEWS segment, David talks about the passing of one the greatest military leaders in the modern era; Retired US Army Lieutenant General Hal Moore of WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE…AND YOUNG fame. Hal Moore led the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in one of the first major battles of the Vietnam War. His dedication to his men both on and off the field of combat is the stuff of legends.

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The Leadership Minute #82 – Give Up Excuses (Current Events Edition)

Welcome to the Leadership Minute #82 and it is the Current Events edition of things to Give Up To Be a Successful Leader. Today I am continuing my talk about Giving up Excuses.

When I first started writing the notes to this video I had a little trouble finding a real world current event that I could use then it happened.

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio at the 400 Meter Hurdle quarterfinals US athlete and the youngest to ever qualify for this Olympic event, Sydney McLaughlin, a 17-year-old high school senior was interviewed after the race that put her into the finals and that’s when it happened. While she did not finish in the top three to automatically move her into the semifinals her time had to beat the rest of the remaining athletes to fill in the other spots in the semis. Her youth, inexperience, and overly ambitious reporter got the better of her. She started with the excuses as to why she did not finish in the top three.

“It’s hard coming to a place like this, so many people, so much expectations, the rain, the change in weather, I’m sick – I have a cold. It’s a lot to take in, a lot to process, and a lot to deal with at the same time.”

Having a daughter just a less than a year younger than McLaughlin who also happens to participate in her high school track and field saw all the excuses right off the bat.

One you are not there to see the crowd. The only expectations are your own and as world class athlete you know that by now. The ringer was that she had a cold. Like I said she is 17 years old and her inexperience dealing with the media came shining through. Here was a great opportunity to be a role model for her peers and those future Olympians but instead gave the opposite.

She gave what kids her age give. Again, I am not blaming her but it does show the inexperience. It does show that people will blame others and make excuses to their advantage or they think it is to their advantage. Ultimately, it is just fronts, it’s a barrier and that’s not good leadership.

Thank you,
David Guerra

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Veterans, 2016 Elections, and Hope & Change

The following is something I recently posted on my Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/thedavidguerra
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FullSizeRender(3)I would like to take this time to talk about something that is really close to my heart.

The great thing about Facebook is that you can join just about any group on just about any topic. Those that know me know that I am Veteran (former active duty US Army Infantry) and am I member of several veteran groups here on Facebook. There was a post today that made me think about the last 8 years and the 8 years before that.

The post read, “I sure hope that whatever party takes on the presidency will make this a top priority and gets those Vets the help they need…”

Folks, whether it is Veteran Issues, LGBTQ, Race relations, Elder issues or anything else, the past 16 years have taught us that we can NO LONGER hope. Those days of hope and change are gone! Those days of wishing and praying for a better future are out the window.

What needs to be done is to STEP UP, TAKE A STAND, and DELIVER A MESSAGE that is clearly UNDERSTOOD and ACTED UPON.

We can no longer act like pawns and puppets. The days of looking for someone to take care of us ended the day we became members of society. There is NO expectation of anything. My grandparents and great-grandparents worked for what they had. My two grandfathers did not even expect to survive when they were called to go and fight against Nazism, Fascism and Imperialism during World War II but they made it back after working hard to help win that war.

I stepped up and did my part when I joined the US Army and was at the front-line against Communism in West Berlin. It was touch and go but we won the Cold War without it ever getting hot.

Now, we fight a different war and yet people seem to look at it as if it is a problem that belongs to others and nothing they should be bothered with. Unfortunately, it is a problem that belongs to us. Right here, RIGHT NOW!

In World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, OIF & OEF, the only hope was to come home without getting your ass shot off. Many did but many did not come back in one piece or did not come back at all.

We owe it to them, the ones that are gone, the ones we will never see again, the ones that we called our friends, our buddies, our brothers, to stop hoping and start acting on making a change. We owe it to our battle buddies today that are suffering because of the “hope and change” and the “promises” that things will be different. We owe them the opportunity they never had or don’t get a chance at.

We are still soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen and though we might be a little slow on the draw, the time has come to stop hoping for a change and start ACTING TO MAKE CHANGE HAPPEN.

Thank you for your time and let’s get out there,
David Guerra
Infantry, US Army (Veteran)

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