Brinkmanship in the economy

We are one week from the deadline for raising the debt ceiling.

The current negotiations have been disheartening. The avoidance
of real negotiation in favor of maintaining hard positions is risky.
It is a new kind of brinkmanship that may depend on which side blinks first. Neither intends to blink.

In Minnesota we had about a two week shutdown which ended in a questionable agreement of shuffling obligations rather than long-term resolution.

At the national level, more is at risk including the future of our children and grandchildren.

Rational compromise is essential but not forthcoming. Alas.

If the answer is easy, we don't need leadership

Ron Heifetz has a book Leadership without Easy Answers.

This useful book provides us with a key to leadership.

If the answers were easy, we would not need leaders. Leaders have to solve the tough problems.

The current debt crisis is a case in point.
There is a need to be resolute and determined rather than ideological in order to solve the long term debt issue.

Winning a battle or winning the war

The current budget crises at the national and state levels are frustrating and disappointing. Leaders are supposed to solve problems,not exacerbate them. Right now, they are focusing on posturing and positioning rather than solving problems.

America has been living beyond its means for years. That is clear. The future of the United States as a global power is on the line and has been for some time.

Which ever side prevails there is risk. An outcome that reflects short term thinking will not solve the United States' basic problems. There is both a need to limit spending and to dispense with incentives and perks for powerful interests.

It is time to sit back and ask not "what's in it for me," but rather "what's good for the US in the long run."
Good leadership has to look beyond partisan promises and, for once, take a long view of what is good for the US.

Americans want to bask in past glory rather than face current realities of a country with huge liabilities, declining leadership in multiple fields, and a self-satisfied complacency. It is time to wake up.


If the politicians cannot solve the problems, grass roots Americans will have to step up to the plate and take a leadership role.

The Balanced Life

For years, like everyone else I sought the elusive "balanced life" that everyone wants.

Looking back at my own quest and at the countless books and articles on the topic, I am convinced that the balanced life is more a mindset than a formula.

No one can do everything.

Part of leading a balanced life lies in the identification of one's priorities.

Unless one leads a life in a mindless vacuum, as did the character portrayed by George Clooney in Up in the Air, one is probably leading a balanced life. The percentages of time spent on work, family, recreation, community service, etc.may differ over time,but the overall effect is balance. It may not be a perfect formula but then life is often less than perfect.

One's life is balanced if one sets out to lead a balanced life with multiple facets and elements. It will not reflect an abstract formula, but a mixture of activities,commitments, and goals. It is in balance if it reflects a variety of personal and professional goals.

Corporate culture and mergers

Transition from the chair

As June draws to a close, so too is my term as director of the MA in Leadership program at Augsburg College. Eighteen years. In one sense, it does not seem very long, and yet it has been a part of my life for so long, it will seem strange not to be director...


I will probably still have some obligations for a while until the new director (still to be named)takes over.

It will be a strange state --director and yet not...

We can adjust to almost anything, can't we?

Taking Charge

As I was moving stuff from my office  this month, I found a little book I had not looked at in the long time.

Byrd Baggett:  Taking Charge: 236 Proven Principles of Effective Leadereship  (1996).

It's quick and easy but has lots of good advice.   You have heard a lot of it before.   One of my favorites is a Goal is a Dream with a Deadline.    Baggett did not invent this.   I have also heard it attributed to Coach Carter (about whom a film was made).  

I have no idea who said it first, but it is worth remembering.

A book worth perusing

John Meada's  Redesigning Leadership  is a book worth examining.    Meada, an engineer and design specialist,  suddenly found himself as President of RISD.  As an administrator and creative person, he began to think about leadership.    This little book represents a compilation of his thoughts.  Certainly he looks at leadership in a distinctive way.  

I found his reflections on communication via e-mail very interesting and useful.  

Walking the Leader Path

One of the things that strikes me is that we cannot look at leadership as a done deal.   Leadership is ever changing.  Today you are a leader; tomorrow perhaps a failure.  Next year a leader again.

Someone reluctant to face the day-to-day challenges of leadership should not go down this path.   Take courage.   Walk slowly and carefully.   There are mine fields everywhere.

Read Jeffrey Fox's. How to Become CEO

There are a lot of advice books for people working in organizations. This is one of the best.

The author's measured advice is helpful and to the point. One does not have to seek to become a CEO. If you seek to do your best, this book can be of great help in strategizing about your career.

Finding Joy in Work

Are you Unhappy at work?
Assuming that you are in a normally acceptable job, ask yourself why you are unhappy.
In the course of my long career, I have known people who are miserable in what we might call dream jobs.

Why?
Perhaps what others consider a dream job is not their dream. Perhaps the "dream job" is in reality a nightmare.

Step 1 is to ask yourself why you are unhappy...

Ponder that question