On October 12, 2000, the USS Cole was attacked while refueling in Yemen’s Aden Harbor. 17 American sailors were killed and 39 more were injured. It was the deadliest attack against a United States naval vessel in over a decade. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack.

Though the horrors of 9/11 were still 11 months away, the United States was now in an asymmetrical war. The new kind of struggle, which pits nations or groups with disparate military capabilities and strategies against each other, and features such irregular tactics as counterinsurgency and terrorism, would force the Pentagon to rewrite its rules of engagement after decades of following a WWII and Cold War driven playbook.

Though the battlefield is far from the ideal workplace metaphor, the sad truth is that many employees come to work each day feeling embattled.

Networking Tips for Introverts and Shy People

Networking is important. We all get that. But what do you do if you’re shy, introverted and/or struggle in social settings?

One workaround is social media. Many folks much prefer engaging from behind a picture or avatar than in person. While the quality of the engagement can often be more limited, there’s a ton that one can achieve by showing up authentically online, sharing great content and demonstrating real interest in others.

Another approach is to use FaceTime, Duo, Skype, Zoom or some other online audio/video chat platforms. It can be less intimidating for folks to talk through their technology and preserve their personal space than to actually get in the same room as them. It can also make connecting much easier from a logistical standpoint.

Walking the Tightrope of Life

Many of us struggle to achieve and maintain proper balance in our lives. We seek to succeed in the work arena while simultaneously being there for our families and loved ones. We have a strong sense of community and want to give back to those around us while also ensuring that we attend to our health-related, emotional, and spiritual needs on a regular basis.

Despite our best intentions,our many aims oftentimes come into direct conflict with one another. We simply cannot give as much time as we would like to each of these areas in a manner that is fully satisfying. How can we manage to strike the proper balance between these oft-competing realms in a manner that is both responsible and fulfilling?

For starters, it is important that we take the time to identify and prioritize our core values and aspirations. Often this is best achieved through the creation of a personal mission statement, which lays out what is most important and what we strive to achieve in each realm. A coach, guide or mentor can be helpful here in ask the hard questions that drill down on what is truly important. They can also offer a different perspective and value set to your own.

How circumstances affect delegation

In an earlier blog post, I shared some reasons that so many leaders do not delegate more often and presented arguments why they should. I also spelled out seven steps to more effective delegation. In this article, I will delve into who to consider when seeking to delegate tasks and projects.

“The way you delegate is that first you have to hire people that you really have confidence in. You won't truly let those people feel a sense of autonomy if you don't have confidence in them," Robert Pozen said.

Though the term delegation may be defined consistently as the shifting of responsibility for a task or project from one person (usually a leader or manager) to another, the situations in which it is applied can vary greatly. And in many cases, the leader is doing something very different than delegating.

Lessons from some bottom of the bag pumpkin seeds 🌱

After munching through a bag of tasty trail mix, I got to the bottom of the bag.

Everything “big”, including walnuts, almonds, 🥜 and even dried fruit chunks, were gone.

Left were all the pumpkin seeds that had settled to the bottom. ⬇

Which got me thinking. 🤔

Why I Wrote My Book (and Why You Should Too)

In July 2017, I published my first book, "Becoming the New Boss".

The book, a guide for folks transitioning into and within leadership, is the product of three plus years of effort, including settling on a topic, identifying a target audience, doing lots and lots of writing, testing my content online through regular leadership posts, finding an editor and publisher, and working through the complex, lengthy publishing process.

Without question, it was an exhilarating feeling. Not only am I proud of what I have achieved, but I am super excited to know that I can now share my ideas and experiences with so many others.

Learn to measure, measure, measure 📏

My eyes can deceive me quite a bit.

Over the past two months, I have embarked in some house-related projects. One was to redo our front walk. The other was to level the area underneath an over-ground pool.

Because my home 🏡 is on a hill, an optical illusion is created that makes flat surfaces appear sloped.

When I saw our completed walk, something just didn’t look right.

And after adding substantial top soil to one end of the pool 🤽 site to even things out and prevent water for building on one end, it still seemed uneven.

However, when I used a level 📐 (a tool that indicates how flat a surface is), I saw that the surface is in fact flat.

6 Tips to Stop Procrastinating and Get Things Done

I’m embarrassed that it took me so long.

And what a difference it made when I finally did it.

Ever since I upgraded to Windows 10, my aging PC 🖥 really slowed down. It also often froze, and even my podcast recordings were becoming compromised.

I knew that I needed a new machine, but I didn’t take action (unless asking around for a good replacement and some web research counts for action).

Just kept stumbling along with what I had.

Until recently, that is. When I finally pulled the trigger on a new PC (on sale, of course 😉).

What do you want to become independent of?

“Independence means that the amount of value you take from other people is equal to or less than the amount of value you put back. It doesn’t mean you don’t need other people. And it doesn’t mean you avoid other people’s help.” Scott Young

As we near July 4, we have many things to think about, such as…

🗽 The great country (USA) that so many of us live in, that grants us so many personal freedoms

🗽 The many sacrifices of others, on the battlefield 🔫 and in the political arena, to ensure and sustain those freedoms

🗽 The awesomeness of BBQs 🌭 and fireworks 🎆, even if they have nothing to do with independence

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