Great leaders leave a legacy in their wake, usually in the form of people who carry on the vision and values of their mentors. I had the privilege to witness that kind of leadership in action last week at the installation of our newest Omicron Delta Kappa Circle at Dallas Baptist University. University President Dr….
Miscellaneous
Day One: The Start of Our “Second Century”
I pondered whether a blog post on the day of our founding – yesterday, December 3 – or a blog post the day following our centennial (today, December 4) would be more appropriate. I obviously chose the latter. If you search earlier blog posts, you’ll find that in 2012 and 2013, I posted on our Society’s…
Friday Fusion: Blake’s on a Plane!
Today is a happy day in the life of Omicron Delta Kappa. Later this afternoon, the Guilford College Circle in Greensboro, N.C. will be installed. Guilford College will become our 291st active circle. Guilford is a unique institution in that it has a Quaker heritage. One of the things I especially appreciate about the school…
The Theory of Attentional Leadership: Looking for the Boundaries of Leadership Theory and Practice
When speaking to students, professionals, and civic leaders about leadership I usually ask: what do you think leadership actually “is”— or what do leaders “do”? Random musings ensue: “it’s about vision”, “motivating others to do what you want them to do”, “getting failing teams to perform better”, “turning around a dysfunctional company” “giving hope an…
Monday Musings: Leading When You Aren’t Sure Others Will Follow
As my staff and our board members will tell you, I’ve spent the summer remodeling a house in the Virginia countryside. It’s been highly frustrating at times, but there have been several leadership opportunities during the whole process. The most recent one occurred yesterday. I was returning from my weekly trip to The Home Depot,…
Are You Part of the Leadership Brain Drain?
You did everything right. You led this club or that team in high school and college. You took your studies seriously enough to be a good student. Once you graduated, the “real world” snatched you almost immediately. You got a great job and moved up fast and maybe you were promoted or shuffled to a…
Monday Musings: A Gracious Leader
I spent Saturday afternoon watching my alma mater (Louisville) losing to my adopted team (Virginia). Although there was a skirmish at the end of the first half, the thing I kept thinking about during the game was Mike London’s graciousness throughout his career – winning or losing. He’s had less success on the field lately,…