Tag: Leadership

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blog Decisionmaking Leadership Uncategorized

on Niccolò Machiavelli #10

“Minds are of three kinds: one is capable of thinking for itself; another is able to understand the thinking of others; and a third can neither think for itself nor understand the thinking of others. The first is of the highest excellence, the second is excellent, and the third is worthless.” – Niccolò Machiavelli

In us, everyday a struggle rages. Oh don’t say, “No! Not me!”

You are a human being and you are just like the rest of us. Everyday, we wake up with good intentions but what happens throughout the day and our reactions to those events that happen is what makes us choose between one of the three kinds.

Unfortunately, we tend to pick the first or the third mind and seldom do we choose the second mind.

That is why we must always be cognizant of the fact that we can make a choice and not just act because that’s the way we’ve always done things.

Be mindful of the fact that actions do not always require reactions, they require slow and deliberate response to the action.

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Change Decisionmaking Leadership Motivation

on Niccolò Machiavelli #8

“For whoever believes that great advancement and new benefits make men forget old injuries is mistaken.” -Niccolò Machiavelli

I once fell into a very large pile of rusty, old concertina wire (razor wire). If you know what razor wire is you know it can get pretty nasty if you get tangled up in it. Needless to say, I are tangled up in. It happened when I was in the Army. We were out on field maneuvers patrolling in a wooded area. I was part of the left flank as we approached a clearing. My attention was focused on the clearing and what might or might not be there. Then the forest floor gave out on me. I found myself bouncing on something semi-springy. I landed on my back onto the largest collection of used concertina wire in all of Fort Benning, Georgia.

To this day, I see one of the scars every time I sit down to type. I sliced open my right ring finger from my middle joint to just below my fingernail. While lying on top of the pile I could see the ligament and bones. It was a nice clean slice of course that was just before the bleeding started there and on my left calf with the six-inch slice. A medevac flight, some bandages, and a nice tetanus shot later I was good to go. Having learned my lesson, and just like that, I never walked in those woods or any other woods the same way, again. Every field exercise or deployment after that, I made certain I knew what I was stepping on and most certainly, where I was going.

The same applies to the top quote by Machiavelli. When we move forward. It is through our gained experience that we can move forward with caution and with speed. Speed in that we know where the landmines (or bundles of trashed concertina wire) are and caution to ensure that we avoid and freshly laid landmines.

What I am trying to say is don’t forget that the unexpected is always just one footstep away and don’t forget that as you go on your way forward.

Thanks,
David Guerra

 

Categories
Change Leadership Walking Leader

What book will help me be a better leader?

daveguerrabookswalkingleader001005In 2013, I finished writing my first book, “The Walking Leader” which I started about six years earlier. Six years? Yes, I was still in school finishing my Masters and working for the state of Texas this it never took off until I said enough is enough.

There are many people who know that the only true way to be an authentic leader is to get up and get out. You read about that need in many business books and many more business gurus will tell you that. They tell you to get up and start walking around the company and get to know not only the people you are responsible but to meet and know everyone in the organization.

Unfortunately, that’s about all they tell you. Over the years, there have been numerous programs and systems that encourage leaders to get out there and interact with those they supervise. There was TQM, SIX SIGMA, LEAN, and so on and so on (ad nauseam). Yet, there were no rules as to what to do when the leader got out there.

Thus the reason for writing The Walking Leader became perfectly clear. The Walking Leader offers answers to one question that no one wanted to answer:

What do I do when I walk around the company? 

The Walking Leader is the result of me trying to answer that question. I came up with twenty (20) rules or suggestions to give the leader something to do than to walk around aimlessly while trying to figure out on the fly what to do and NOT do.

Now I don’t promise you that it will make you the next Patton or Jack Welch but I can promise that it can help get you on the right direction when you get out there and start walking around. Thus, you will be a better leader.

Thank you for indulging me a little shameless self-promotion. Then again, if I don’t do it who will?
Dave Guerra

You can order your copy of THE WALKING LEADER from AMAZON