Tag: Change

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blog Current Events Leadership Motivation

Leadership in the News: Don’t Do The Crime If You Can’t Do The Time (an Ashley Madison Hack Tragedy)

A Father, Professor, and Pastor took his own life. It seems that this man was a member of the Ashley Madison website (if you don’t know what it is please look it up on your own). Recently, the website was hacked and ALL the info of members of that website were posted on several locations throughout the Internet. Some prominent names appeared on the AM membership rolls as did plain, old everyday people.

However, it seems that the Pastor felt that he could not deal with the potential of being found out as an individual that wanted a little something that the website could give him (or offered). Was it shame or that he felt he let his family down or those that looked up to him? He must have been in a dark place? Thus, the only solution he saw for himself was to take his own life.

Folks, LIFE IS NEVER THAT BAD. Everything can be fixed. Of all the people on that hacked list, he was probably one of the few that truly knew this and more than likely said the exact same thing to others, living in their own dark place, throughout his career as a Pastor.

THIS GOES OUT TO ALL LEADERS:
What you do on your own time is your business. However, when that starts to affect your profession then it might be time to reconsider your actions. Change your ways and get yourself back on track.

The point I am making is if you do the crime you better be prepared to do the time. Thus if you can’t do the time don’t do the crime. Be strong, face it head on and deal with it.

Personally, I believe that if the individual had stepped up and admitted the issue it would have made him a stronger person and a stronger leader. He could have turned this perceived negative into very much a positive. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

When adversity (real or perceived) strikes, it becomes the time for real leaders to step up and shine. Of course, if the adversity is of their own doing then it only serves to show her followers that the leader is human and will make mistakes. It is NOT the time to fall and refuse to get up one more time.

A leader that believes himself to be a true leader will get back up each and every time.
Please don’t be the next one to stay down. You must to stand up.

reference: http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/08/technology/ashley-madison-suicide/index.html
twitter tag: (10 SEPT 15)

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blog Current Events In The News Leadership Walking Leader

#Leadership in the News: “Secret Service Director’s Mission: Fix the agency”

Leadership in the news: “Secret Service Director’s Mission: Fix the agency”

New Secret Service director, John Clancy, recently opened the agency’s doors to the media to talk and show what was going on at the Secret Service to change and regain the population’s trust in that agency. By doing so, Clancy’s leadership comes shining through.

In the CNN report, the director openly talked about the agency’s past and how the agency must change to put that part of its history behind them and the nation, of course in the name of progress.

However, as is the case for making change in any organization it just does not happen with a snap of a finger. It happens when leaders are deliberate and want to deliver “more transparency and speedier reforms”.

Even then, those on the outside the agency are still demanding answers for past actions. A past that is clouded with scandal and lax security procedures, which have threatened the White House.

By having a leader that is willing to step out in front and work to deliver that change, the organization can step away from its ugly past and move into the light of progress and success.

The agency has been criticized for NOT bringing in an “outsider” to “clean house” and make the necessary changes that would appease the critics and not necessarily make the organization better.

I am a big proponent of hiring and promoting from within. I used to work for a state agency in Texas that was mired in scandal and the powers that be (legislature) saw it fit to demand an outsider come in and make things right. The outsider had no clue what it was really like to be out on the frontlines and was summarily dismissed and replaced. The replacement was not that much better. The outsiders did nothing but create a culture of fear and panic. They also managed to create an environment where GOOD LEADERS could no longer thrive for fear of dismissal or ARREST. Yes, some leaders were arrested but I digress.

Outsiders do not understand the culture from within. Outsiders tend to throw ALL employees into the same barrel of rotting pickles instead of knowing who was good and who was rotten to the core.

Fortunately, for the Secret Service they do not have to deal with such nonsense but instead are given another opportunity to stand out, thrive, and resume their role as one of the most trusted organizations in the US Government. That’s because they have a leader that not only comes from within its ranks but also has nothing to hide when it comes to leading change.

Now, that’s a leader that all organizations should strive to create, cultivate, and not hesitate when it comes time to hand over the reins to a new leader.

ref: http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/06/politics/secret-service-director/index.html

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Change Current Events Leadership Walking Leader

THE WALKING LEADER’S RULE #8 TRY OUT THEIR WORK in the news: Olive Garden

Rule #8 in THE WALKING LEADER is TRY OUT THEIR WORK & NEW OLIVE GARDEN OWNERS DID SO!

The Walking Leader’s Rule #8 focuses on leaders getting into the trenches and trying out the job of the people that are in the various front line locations in the organization. Of course, there are a few stipulations that can prevent a Walking Leader from doing someone’s job, such as lack of security clearance or equipment use certification. However, for the most part anyone and everyone in a leadership position should try out all the jobs that they can within their organization.

Recently, several investors of the Starboard Value, a hedge fund and owner of the largest stake in the Olive Garden restaurant chain did just that. They worked shifts in the kitchen and waited tables at an Olive Garden restaurant. The members of Starboard Value certainly knew that they had to get a realistic feel of what it is like to work at Olive Garden, especially after getting bashed by its customers and critics for its bad food, too much waste (i.e., unlimited bread sticks and salad) and overall dated look and attitude.

The hedge fund owners of the restaurant chain certainly stunned many by taking the initiative, jumping into the trenches, and filling a few sand bags or in this case, waiting tables and cooking up some pasta e fagioli.

In The Walking Leader, I mention how important it is for leaders to get a true understanding of all the jobs that are performed in the organization. It gives the leaders a unique perspective on how things are done now versus how things were done in the past.

Having the Starboard Value hedge fund leaders dive right in to the thick of it, they get to see what the front line staff see all the time. If only ALL organizations (private and public sector) had such leadership and initiative there would not be half the problems we have now. Imagine, a state agency that would operate a level of competency because the state headquarters staff got an opportunity to see what life was like during the graveyard shift at a 24/7 state facility. Imagine, how organizations such as Enron would have had a difficult time hiding all the nonsense they did manage to hide. Who knows Enron might still have been a major player in the energy industry?

Since this “TRY OUT THEIR WORK” event took place, Darden Restaurants stock value has climbed “4% and hit a new all-time high in the process.” This is good for Darden, Starboard Value, stock holders and most of all to its customers. It is the customer that is currently and will continue to benefit the most.

Disclosure: I own stock in DARDEN RESTAURANTS [NYSE: DRI]. It is not a lot but I do have Darden stock in my portfolio.

THE WALKING LEADER: The 20 Rules You Can Follow Now to Guide You Down the Path of Leadership Greatness is the first book in the Walking Leader series written by David G. Guerra.
(click here to order a paperback copy or for Amazon Kindle )

reference: http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/02/news/companies/olive-garden-starboard/, http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/23/investing/olive-garden-darden-restaurants-earnings/index.html