Lauren’s Blog

The Colonel had two master’s degrees and a Ph.D. He was a committed, life-long learner, and he instilled that expectation in his daughters. He said, “You have to keep educating yourself. If you’re not always learning and growing as a person, you’re not growing as a...

I have been a talker my whole life. Often, in frustration, Dad would say, “Lauren Ann, stop talking just to hear the sound of your own voice.” Regarding leadership, he expounded on that thought. He said, “Stop talking. Listen. You don’t learn anything from talking....

The Colonel often said, “Don’t tell your team what kind of leader you are. They won’t follow you because of what you say. Show them what kind of leader you are in your attitude and your behaviors. They will watch and follow you because of what you do.”...

No one steps into leadership because they want to be relegated to the background. Most people who seek, or are comfortable with leadership enjoy being out in front and in the spotlight. But, it is not always an effective leadership quality. The Colonel said to me,...

Dad believed the measure of a human being is, in large part, how they treat the people who can’t do anything for them. The Colonel said, “People will be watching you. They will measure your character by the way you treat those who report to you.” It’s easy to treat...

Anyone who has taken on the responsibility of parenting children understands that it involves a great deal of saying “no.” As my two children grew into adulthood, I can’t count how many times I have said no to something, battled the emotion, the arguments, the...

While every organization needs both, there is a profound difference between managers and leaders. The Colonel was adamant about that difference. Dad said, “A manager will give you something to work on. A leader will give you something to work toward.”...