12 O’Clock High

Richard Lummis and I are back for another episode of 12 O’Clock High, a podcast on business leadership. Today, we take up the issue of how to brief senior leadership in an organization. This podcast is based upon a recent Harvard Business Review article How to Brief a Senior Executive by Grant T. Harris. Harris notes in his article, “Briefing a senior executive is an art and adept White House staffers do it every day under the most stressful of circumstances. They’re masters of compressing the right information into the right amount of time, no matter how complex the topic or short the briefing. The skills needed to brief the chief executive in the Oval Office are directly applicable to briefing any executive in the C-suite.”

Some of the highlights include:

1.     Before You Walk into the Room (or Log in) 

a.    Identify the “crucial nodder.” 

b.    Know your boss’s “tells.” 

c.     Find out how the boss engages with the material.

d.     Plan for gradations of success and failure. 

e.     Keep an idea alive to fight another day or, in the best-case scenario, go bigger and faster in implementation.

2.     In the Room (or on the Video Conference Call)

a.     Read the room, not your notes. Whether the briefing is in person or virtual, you need to read cues and body language. In short, “take cues, not notes.” 

b.     Stay laser focused on your task. 

c.     Practice the art of staying silent. 

3.     What does it all mean? 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of 12 O’Clock High, a podcast on business leadership, Richard Lummis and myself consider how leaders grew and evolved during crucible crisis in their professional careers. This podcast is based on the Harvard Business Review article, Crucibles of Leadership by Warren Bennis and Robert J. Thomas, where the authors posited that “a crucible is, by definition, a transformative experience through which an individual comes to a new or an altered sense of identity. It can often involve the experience of prejudice, as “it forces an individual to confront a distorted picture of him- or herself, and it often unleashes profound feelings of anger, bewilderment, and even withdrawal. For all its trauma, however, the experience of prejudice is for some a clarifying event. Through it, they gain a clearer vision of who they are, the role they play, and their place in the world.”

The key is how individuals deal with such or even any similar adversity. You can and indeed must learn from negative events. This is not simply learning from your mistakes but forces you into a deep self-reflection where you examine a wide set of core beliefs, including your own judgment. A successful leader will emerge from such a personal trauma stronger, more confident, with more purpose and indeed more committed to your values and work. 

Some of the highlights include:

1.     What a “Crucible of Leadership”?

2.     Some examples of crucibles of leadership.

a.     Sidney Harman-Richard

b.     Vernon Jordan-Tom 

3.     Four Essential Leadership Skills

a.     Engage Others in Shared Meaning

b.     Distinctive, Compelling Voice

c.     Integrity

d.     Adaptive Capacity

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Lummis and Tom Fox continue their a five-part series on leadership lessons from Theodore Roosevelt. We will look at lessons from Roosevelt’s early years in New York up to his cowboying days in Montana; the second phase of his public career, from NYC Police Commission to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, San Juan Hill and the Vice Presidency; his leadership from his Presidency; his life in the post-Presidency and the election of 1912 and we will end with leadership lessons from his post Bull Moose Party life, World War I and event surrounding his death. In this third episode, we consider the leadership lessons learned by Roosevelt in his ascension to the Presidency and his first and second terms as 26th President.

Highlights of this podcast include:

Roosevelt’s ascension to the Presidency after the assassination of President McKinley; his domestic policies including: trust busting, issues with railroads, starting the American conservation movement and regulation of food and drugs. We then turn to foreign policy and his arbitration of the Russo-Japanese War which won him the Nobel Prize, the Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine and construction of the Panama Canal. We look at the clection of 1904 and his second term. We conclude with three key leadership lessons: 1. Surround yourself with other leaders; 2. Maintain an Open Channel with Adversaries; and 3. Be able to take criticism.

Resources

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 10 Leadership Lessons from the White House

6 Leadership Hacks From The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

10 top Leadership Principles of Teddy Roosevelt

The Roosevelts: Eight presidential lessons in leadership

Lessons in Leadership from 100 years ago

Theodore Roosevelt on Leadership

10 Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Lessons

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Lummis and Tom Fox continue their a five-part series on leadership lessons from Theodore Roosevelt. We will look at lessons from Roosevelt’s early years in New York up to his cowboying days in Montana; the second phase of his public career, from NYC Police Commission to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, San Juan Hill and the Vice Presidency; his leadership from his Presidency; his life in the post-Presidency and the election of 1912 and we will end with leadership lessons from his post Bull Moose Party life, World War I and event surrounding his death. In this fourth episode, we consider the leadership lessons learned from Roosevelt’s years after the end of his second term up through his run for President at the head of the Bull Moose Party in 1912.

Highlights of this podcast include:

Roosevelt goes big game hunting and holds meetings with political leaders across all of  Europe. What led to the schism in the GOP and Roosevelt’s defeat at the GOP 1912 Convention? The formation of the Bull Moose Party and his survival of an assassination attempt. The election of 1912, his loss to Wilson but his overwhelming defeat of his former protegeé, William Taft. We conclude this episode with three key leadership lessons, including: 1. Change when the facts change; 2. Don’t be afraid of making unpopular decisions; and 3. Leaders are Learners.

Resources

Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 10 Leadership Lessons from the White House

6 Leadership Hacks From The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt

10 top Leadership Principles of Teddy Roosevelt

The Roosevelts: Eight presidential lessons in leadership

Lessons in Leadership from 100 years ago

Theodore Roosevelt on Leadership

10 Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Lessons

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Lummis is on assignment this week as we are preparing a multi-part series on leadership lessons from the life and Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. Today, I am hosting Paul Simkins, a long-time leadership and training expert. Simkins believes that we should move away from leadership training to leadership development. He has some unique ideas on how organizations can develop leaders.

Highlights of this podcast include:

1. Why does Simkins say its “not leadership training but leadership development”?
2. What is the difference in training and development?
3. Why is employee engagement really about leadership?
4. What are Ten Signs Your company should invest in leadership Development?
5. Where can listeners go for more information on how to Boldly Lead?

Resources

1.  Boldly Lead website.
2. Blog post 10 Signs You Should Invest in Leadership Development-Part 1
3. Blog post 10 Signs You Should Invest in Leadership Development-Part 2

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Lummis and I are back with more business leadership lessons. In this episode of 12 O’Clock High, a podcast on business leadership, we take a look at leadership lessons from William Howard Taft, the 27th President, who had the misfortune to follow one of America’s greatest and most popular Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt. Taft was a mountain of a man, weighing over 300 lbs. He is also the only President to become Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court after he left the office of the Presidency.

 Highlights of this podcast include:

1. Background of Taft.
2. Education and early professional life in Ohio.
3. Move to Washington, role of Nellie and work in the Philippines.
4. Work in the Roosevelt Administration.
5. Presidential Term.
6. 1912 Presidential election.
7. Final thoughts on leadership lessons.

Resources

1.  National Park Service article on his home and upbringing. 
2. Taft as good-hearted
3. Taft, TR and the Bully Pulpit-Forbes
4. General Review of Taft 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Lummis and I are back with more business leadership lessons. In this episode of 12 O’Clock High, a podcast on business leadership, we take a look at leadership lessons from the Marcus Aurelius who was Roman Emperor from 161 to 180. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good Emperors and the last emperor of the Pax Romana, an age of relative peace and stability for the Roman Empire. He was a Stoic philosopher and it is from that tradition we present his leadership lessons applicable to today’s business executive.

Highlights of this podcast include:

1. Background of Marcus Aurelius.
2. Philosophical learnings of Marcus Aurelius.
3. What led to writing of Mediations?
4. Lessons from Meditations.
5. Business lessons.
6. Leadership lessons. Why did they participate? Is there one right reason?
7. Rules for life.
8. Final thoughts on leadership lessons.

Resources

10 Rules for Being an Exceptional Leader

Ten Rules for Life

Why business leaders look to stoicism

Mediations

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Lummis and I are back with more business leadership lessons. In a nod to the current Coronavirus health crisis, we wanted to look for leadership lessons in prior epidemic emergencies. Today, we take a look at leadership lessons Colonel Walter Reed, as he led the team which discovered what caused yellow fever, how yellow fever was transmitted and developed steps to eradicate it.

Highlights of this podcast include:

1. Background of Walter Reed and his work on to discover how typhoid was transmitted.
2. Formation of the Yellow Fever Commission
3. Two key questions-what caused yellow fever and how was it transmitted?
4. Conduct of the experiments.
5. Ethics of the experiments.
6. What about the participants. Why did they participate? Is there one right reason?
7. Early death and legacy.
8. Final thoughts on leadership lessons

Resources

Yellow Fever Commission

Soldiers Participation in the study

General Biography of Reed

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Lummis and Tom Fox conclude our four-part series on leadership lessons from George Washington. We will look at lessons from Washington’s colonial and frontier period, focusing on the French and Indian War, leadership lessons from Washington’s generalship of the Continental Army, his leadership in both the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention and we will end with leadership lessons from both terms of Washington’s presidency. In this fourth and concluding episode, we consider the leadership lessons demonstrated by Washington during his two terms as the first President of the United States. 

Highlights of this podcast include:

1.     Introduction into Washington’s two terms as President.

2.     A team of rivals? How did he manage them? 

3.     Leading by example, yet in a measured and nuanced manner-the Whiskey Rebellion.

4.     Foreign Affairs-Citizen Genet and Jay Treaty with Britain. 

5.     Farewell Address-how did this encapsulate Washington’s leadership? 

6.     Final thoughts on leadership lessons still relevant today from George Washington. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Lummis and Tom Fox continue our four-part series on leadership lessons from George Washington. We will look at lessons from Washington’s colonial and frontier period, focusing on the French and Indian War, leadership lessons from Washington’s generalship of the Continental Army, his leadership in both the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention and we will end with leadership lessons from both terms of Washington’s presidency. In this third episode, we consider the leadership lessons demonstrated by Washington at the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention.

Highlights of this podcast include:

1. Introduction into Washington’s generalship of the Continental Army.
2. Why silence and listening can be so powerful.
3. Call for strong union in Constitutional Congress.
4. How did Washington’s leadership in the Constitutional Convention influence the creation of the Chief Executive role?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices