SOCIALISM VS CAPITALISM

News announcers up and down the East Coast

Change the channel : clones of each other

Bemoaning the blizzard of 2016

Similar stories, tragedies abound, horrific storm

 

Three days and counting

The nation’s government in DC is paralyzed

Offices closed, streets blocked

Nothing moves, only sledding on capital hill

Profit motive to clear the streets- absent

SOCIALISM – Yes: Government employees on leave with pay

State of emergency continues, continues, continues

The world functions while DC sleeps

 

A comparative analysis

New York City: 6,000 miles of streets

More people, more cars, same snow

State of emergency: one day: roads cleared

Offices, restaurants, Broadway, all open

Profit motive – YES: Capitalism YES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

Yesterday was the day of exit for the church’s musical director.
A composer, master of many instruments,
Most of all a motivator of choirs and congregations.
Speeches of thanks by the priest, choir members, and the director:
Three standing ovations as the time to say adieu came closer:
The 1st ovation had an aura of victory . Like celebrating a winning touchdown.
The 2nd was more appreciative – hands clapping and body language of thanks.
The 3rd was unabashed sadness: Tears of farewell: bodies shaking with sad emotion.
Husbands, wives, children, holding each other as the moment of separation arrived.
Five hundred people overcome with loss – heads bowed: eye contact avoided:
big guys turned into jello.
What is the chemistry? The magic? The charisma that this stranger of 5 years ago
brought to this audience? Changed a moribund gathering into a group of bawling
children. There is no military command structure: or organization dictums which demand obligation to sing and participate
An aura created over time by the dynamism of his personality.

Knowledgeable, without a doubt Passionate about his faith

Energetic , obviously

Engaging , yes

Developer of mutual trust

Carrying the audience in his hands over and over again

Mesmerizing .
A prime example of “leadership” – taking people to places where they did not want to go: and didn’t think they had the talent or ability to take risks associated with musical cliffs.
Jeff believes in himself, his faith, AND the people to whom he is ministering. Most of whom he never met.. but all who feel they know him – and follow him: timidly then eventually without question.

In summary – a construct of mutual trust.
We know and treasure this rare combination when we have the privilege to experience this amazing
chemistry of superb leadership.

A case study in Leadership 101

Competition –To Win or Avoid Losing

There are many theories and conjectured analysis about “ competition”. 

These are a fewthoughts and indeed conjectures.

Is the spirit of competition inherited or is it an environmental factor?

Does it matter?

A former quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles  related that he is highly

competitive because of an insatiable  need to be 1^st – to be recognized, to be

the best at whatever he attempts to do in life: athletically, social status,

 financially. Life revolves around  the 24/7 conquest of winning …everything-

every time

 The challenge is a core focus.

The emphasis on being a champion is one of his earliest childhood memories.

To lose at board games, or sports  was always unacceptable in the household.

Anything less than total victory was unacceptable..  Rewards for “trying” , or

being a good teammate were nonexistent.

You either won or lost – finishing 2^nd or 3^rd was considered a failure. Taking

“prisoners” of those whom you defeated – unconscionable !

 Long faces, glowering looks, furrowed brows all accompanied family diatribes.

 Epic stories, like those of ancient Greeks  about family heroes in business, war

and on the baseball diamond– he knew what was coming if his team lost – and

he was the starting pitcher.

No pain no gain: risk has its rewards- these and dozen s of similar platitudes

filled the conversation over dinner.

Victory carried with it family accolades: promises of better things to come:

hugs, cheers, calls from relatives near and far.  Each step up the corporate or

financial ladder earned a grand celebration – and anticipation of even greater

triumphs in the future.

 He was groomed to be a competitive champion on the fields of Eden as the

English proclaim.

In a different setting,,  there are individuals who compete in order not to lose.

A type of life long  preventive defense.   Deploying their talents and skills,

these individuals perform  at a level designed to   avoid finishing last and avoid

  being embarrassed. Failure is to be avoided at all costs.  Winning is not a

moral imperative. Indeed, how does one relate to others

who you have competed against – and defeated them?…. Such an awkward

moment in time.

Finishing a contest, maintaining a struggling friendship, being financially

stable are victories  – a challenge met, a  competition won. Being invisible in

  the middle of the pack,   safe, secure.  minimizing risk of any type or

dimension ;these are desired outcomes.

 Being a secure follower is seen as being comfortable and safe. The rewards

accrued are in line with risks taken and Individual psychic capital expended. 

 A guiding philosophy is “to get along, go along”.

An advantage that the chance of failure is minimized .. life is comfortable, 

predictable,  and generally without the dramatic emotional ups and downs of

those who take risks.

 Looking cautiously forward with a reliance on past events is preferred to

experimenting outside of ones social class or educational peers.

Competition is a caricature with many faces, voices and personalities.

Both of these approaches to competition have a common DNA  -> they  are

conscious choices.

As such they can be changed or modified.   Not easily, but modification is

possible.

From a competitive viewpoint – who are you and is that whom you want to be?

Where is Your Starting Line?

Joe Paterno

His legacy will endure

 

Teacher, father, coach, humanitarian, may he rest in peace.

THE SAD DEMISE OF PENN STATE – A SCANDAL FOR THE AGES

Ten years old and life can be an uphill struggle in the mountains of central

Pennsylvania.

Wearing tattered clothing, sneakers with holes in the soles.

He  puts  his head down to avoid the snickers of others when

 Leaving  the school bus… all the kids know about his  poverty….

His father killed in Iraq: mother struggling with a minimum wage job.

Two younger brothers and sisters  are all of preschool age.

Tim’s ( as we shall name him for this article ) peers  know you get a free school

lunch and use food stamps.

The trailer roof leaks , last spring the electric power was shut off .

Penn State Lion images are everywhere in this rural town,

at the grocery store, the dentist, the pharmacy.

Pennants, stickers, pom poms , sweat shirts. Everywhere.

 Stories about Joe Pa and  the national championships are legendary.

The smart, tough guys who went to Linebacker U are heroes for generations.

The local dentist, attorneys, business leaders –all Penn State Grads.

The Harrisburg Sunday Patriot, Lebanon Daily News, Channel 4  TV in

Lancaster carry news of recruiting triumphs throughout the year.

Would the local 5 star all state full back from Bishop McDevitt  in Harrisburg

matriculate to Penn State or defect to Pittsburgh or Alabama?   As much a news

Item as the gubernatorial election.

By age 7-8: young men can tell you the histories of Joe  Paterno,  Rip Engle and

 Jerry Sandusky.

Sandusky designed the defenses for the national championship teams. 

Respected, smart, a guy who had access to Penn State’s campus, and carried

blue and white in his veins.

Tim remembers being “recruited” to join Jerry’s the Second Mile Program –

billed as a program to help his self esteem and make him a better person. 

Tim never had a chance – he was a prime candidate for the claws of the

predator.Parents revered Jerry Sandusky –   especially those who wanted to

give more to their kids – but couldn’t. The “ Second Mile” program was a

blessing – Jerry was a role model leader of the program.

Imagine, spending time with a folk hero who helped propel Penn State to

national football prominence?

 Jerry liked the kids.. An eagle eye for athletic talent, he also had the

uncommon ability to identify the most vulnerable.. to spot the young boys who

had that extra need for attention.. The kind of oral sex and anal sex attention

foisted upon them  by the sick predators of this world.

 From summer camps to the private, glitzy, big time locker facilities at Happy

Valley is a short walk for the well  connected Sandusky. According to published

 reports, locker rooms where he was seen performing oral sex on pre teens.

Over a decade, he allegedly violated numerous young men, using his fame as a

former Penn State coach for access to young minds and bodies.. and violated

them in Penn State’s football facilities as well as elsewhere.

Others knew – he was reportedly  seen with a naked boy committing oral sex in

a shower room .  A grad student observed  the horrific scene and turned him

into Penn State authorities .. and nothing was done. No action was taken.

The terror continued and continued.  And the authorities  covered  up.

 One needs to understand the allegiance of Pennsylvania parents to the

University.  The high regard for its ethics and values.  From toddler age 

through senior years the University and its athletic programs are

nigh unto a religion.  Always a bit above the Ohio State tattoo scandal,

Wisconsin’s shoe scandal , the dismal education rates among SEC athletes. Penn

 State was the shining example of the way to run a class athletic program.  Get

into trouble in a local bar – Joe Pa would bench the player at

the least – or make sure the young man transferred to another school.

This scandal does  not involve players but a former coach and university icon.

 Rather this is a legal and moral morass brought upon innocent children by a

sick pedophile who was apparently  enabled to continue his horrific actions by

the head of the athletic department and chief of security.

Sweep it under the rug and the dirt will disappear! Avoid the truth – an axiom

that never succeeds. 

 The proud battle cry of  Nittany Lion  fans when visiting the  Badgers at Camp

Randall is “ WE ARE PENN STATE”.  A shrill combination of pride and

defiance.  

 No longer.  Not this year.

 As a Roman Catholic who has watched the priest pedophile scandal grow

exponentially because of a culture of denial and enablement , one fears for the

viability of the institution at Happy Valley .

Most of all – the innocence of many children is lost.. and the scars last a

lifetime..

 So to my faithful readers, I admit my anger, embarrassment, and shame on

behalf of the University. Having been one of those who lived and breathed PSU

football since an early age, I will be one of those fans at Camp Randall who will

sit quietly during  the November game in respect for those boys who

were ignored by Penn State University in their horrific days, weeks, and years

of greatest need.

 To say we are sorry is not enough.  To say “ WE ARE PENN STATE” is an

embarrassment.

THE PRICE OF WAR AS TOLD BY A HERO

A tribute well deserved

 

People back home told him war is hell..

What is hell on the battlefields?

Seventeen years old (lied about his age) he found

himself resting against a tree on an island in the South Pacific.

The scent of mortars  filled the air. Small arms fired crackled.

Blood, guts, cries for “mother” laid all around.

Victory, what a price was being  paid.

 

One day after landing, several days out of boot camp, he

came face to face with death, screaming buddies, the smoke, sound and fury

of both sides fighting for their very lives.

The sheer terror caused his body to shake, his eyes always searching the brush

for his Japanese killers.

 

Physically exhausted, he rested against a tree: helmet by his side.

What were the marks ? Either side of the helmet bore the creases of

bullets: he survived  by inches the fate of the Gods.

With others, he charged up hills to confront  Japanese caves and nests: life hanging in the

balance: kill or be killed.. Firing into huts: hearing screams: watching others die.

 

The seemingly endless nightmare returns to this day.. now we call it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

 

Proud of his service: wondering WHY  he survived when those around him died,

This 80 something patriot talks wistfully of the war.  Tough, wizened,  laughter on

The outside, years of pain on the inside.

 Rubbing his nose, eyes glistening from tears, part of the past comes rushing  back. He looks away,

paces the floor, grapples for the right words.  Shoulders bow, one sees the memory tapes

passing before his eyes: the smells, sounds , and consequences of the war and life since are

evident..  he tries to hold back – but there is a need for him to share, to talk, to again relieve

the pain of life’s journey. To share his story so that those who follow benefit from history.

 

Three marriages,   businesses created, relationships moving on:

It took 30 years to begin the recovery from being .

“Always the need for excitement, the desire to be in control , to survive”,

The ghosts of the cries of buddies dying  on the battlefields  –

Those for  whom he really cared– true men friends for the 1^st time in his life.

 

The fear lingers deep in his soul fear that  in life there is no permanency, or trust, or faith.

Seventy years have passed into the annals of history.

Why me he asks, why did I survive and others beside me die?

 

He carries his military exploits close to his chest

Not a chest pounding hero

A small Semper Fidelis  sticker on his vehicle

 

Marriages unraveled , children without a family

Money squandered: Johnny Walker consumed by the gallons.

Fear, like a low grade fever, is always present. Trust whom?

The ripple effects of combat inexorably, silently pass from generation to generation.

One , just one of the unspoken prices paid by the “ Greatest Generation”.

 

 

Paradise and Peace- Part 1

 

Paradise and Peace

                                                                PARADISE AND PEACE – PART 1

The following is an introduction to a discussion about Paradise and its 3 components:

peace, prosperity and happiness.

 I hope you share your thoughts about what is “ peace” in your life.

  Email your sharings to info@rlhassociates.com .

 

Paradise  is sometimes described as a place where peace, prosperity (not luxury) and

happiness exist.

How do we arrive at this place (or is it a condition) that we label “paradise”?  Is

paradise some oasis as pictured in some paintings? Or a place with opulence?

Is it : inherited, / acquired through religion or meditation or ….?  Can we buy it? Or

build it? Or Invent It?

Does it really exist or is this a creation of our mind/imagination? 

For discussion purposes,  an interesting beginning is giving reflective consideration 

 to “ what is peace”?  Are there metrics, measurements, standards by which we

measure peace?  Those with a religious bent might say it is being one with their God.  

 calmness, a unity, the turning over of their lives to a supreme being. In the book “ Eat 

  Pray Love”  Elizabeth Gilbert  describes her trek  through the meditational journey of

Yoga and  a Bali wise man.  A process that sweeps her away into another  mystical

place.

 What about those who do not believe in a religious sense.? There is an absence of

 standards and values which relate to an after life.  Peace is about practicality –

getting and doing those things which are necessary for happiness. Others 

compliment/or subjugate  their peace by gaining satisfaction through being

conducting themselves as  “servant leaders”.   Giving their lives and talents to

enhance the lives and well beings of others.  We see this in the remarkable spirit of

volunteerism  which embraces the United States ( this is not true in many countries

and cultures where the government is the universal care give).  The

ravages of floods, tornadoes, fires are  solved  by neighbors and strangers who are

committed to assisting others in times of need. You get more than you give – a common

refrain from rain soaked, muddy volunteers who have spent back breaking hours

filling sandbags along the surging rivers of the Mississippi River.

 A cohort tells me his version of peace Is the absence of emotional conflict.  Meaning 

 having an uncommon bond and a sense of  comradeship with others.  This is an

important value in his life.  That being,the capacity to sincerely, deep down in his

souls, have the capacity to engage all types of people in business and personal

relationships to the degree that he is at total peace with them.  Talking to the

truth is his philosophy so therefore there is an absence of hypocrisy, the taint of little

white lies, and deception.  Winning is not important —  it is more about building and

maintaining honest relationships.

Another “peace’ is that of security.  Security may be in the context of financial health.

 Or perhaps it is physical security – the avoidance of physical harm or being in good

 health.   Money can’t buy you happiness but it sure helps goes the saying.  For

security needy individuals, accumulating wealth is more necessary than

relationships, or peace of mind, or their relationship with a deity. 

For others who have illnesses, or lived in areas of high crime or conflict, peace is

good health and safety.Knowing your child will come home safely from school

everyday or being able to go to the grocery store without fear of being attacked are

very real concerns.  Indeed, they are a priority.  Luxurious houses, a 

stress free life as regards relationships, these are important – but living In fear for

one’s life prohibits one from being at peace.

 

  

 

HELPFUL HINTS IN SELECTING LEADERS

HELPFUL HINTS IN SELECTING LEADERS
Selecting employees for supervisory, management, and leadership positions is a fascinating journey.
The same holds true if you are considering forming a business partnership.
What characteristics do you look for?
• Personality Compatibility
• Technical Expertise
• Sharing the same vision.
• Ethics
• Morality
• Mutual friends
• Capability to get along with others
• Financial Stability.
Absolutely – each one of these characteristics is worthy of exploration. Some would say these are
essential..
But gee, an individual can also be a solid performing follower with the above characteristics.
What is left out of the above listing of essentials? A question which is overlooked primarily because of the 1st two items on the list (personality – we really get along well together) and (technical expertise – they bring a essential tool kit of knowledge)? In the evaluative minds of many interviewers this combo translates, sometimes erroneously, into – leadership. The person across the table has all the attributes of a “ natural leader”. It’s so obvious, I can tell in my gut that this person is a leader – I just know it.
Ok – how do you know it? Intuition? As the well worn bromide goes – “the proof is in the pudding”.
A pertinent question for the candidate ? What is a leader ?—no, here you might received an academic or “ down to earth” descriptor . Good information but not what is needed.
The onion which needs to be peeled – is this person a Leader??
• What type, size, organization have they led?
• What quantifiable successes can they cite?
• Their demonstrated philosophy of leadership.
• When did they 1st know they were a leader? How?
• Specific examples of team building.
• Types of employees with whom they work the best/least?
• Failures as a leader.
• What leadership skills do they bring to the table?
• What characteristics are they looking for in a leader?

With mentoring and coaching leadership skills can be honed and developed. It is true that abilities can
be developed wherein and individual with no previous leadership skills can transition into a position
requiring those talents. Many of these individuals have some prior formal or informal leadership
experience.
A caveat. In many ways, leadership is a type of natural selection. Followers gravitate to those who
lead. Whether on the playground, classroom, social club, identifiable leaders and followers emerge.
The risk of hiring someone into a leadership position without a proven record, is significant. The
nuances of successful leadership are complex. They are learned overtime. This is not like learning a
software program where the variables are identified and solutions finite. Empathy, communications,
trust , delegation involve skillful interpersonal skills.
Leadership experience is a valuable teacher which can be measured in the breadth , depth, complexity
and success of involvement . Years in the “job of life” is differentiated from chronological age. Quality
of leadership is a necessary ingredient as is quantity.

BELIEVABLE LEADERSHIP – WHAT CAN MONEY BUY?

“ Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. Sound familiar? What do the diamonds buy? – a sense of – he cares for me? Admiration from others.? Eye candy? Perhaps they are a renewal of the loving mutual admiration society. Or a visible reminder of one person caring for another. This rock from the center of the earth has always signified wealth, affection, and loyalty. There may be a difference between signifying something and it actually being true.
A question – do diamonds, jewelry, and other “ valued things” act as unbreakable adhesives when the affection and loyalty attributes are violated or dissipate over a period of time? The glitz and glamour of diamonds, by themselves, rarely is the glue that holds a broken relationship intact.
Employers are sometimes confused by the currents of “ we want more money’? ( show me the diamonds). When asked to perform expanded duties, the refrain “ how much more are you going to pay me?” is heard from dissatisfied , skeptical, restless employees..
Assuming these employees are paid comparable to others ( same occupation, region, etc) why the hue and cry about money?
• Loyalty?
• Honesty?
• Leadership?
• Followership?
• Integrity?
• Trust?
• Innovation?
• Motivation?
• Empowerment
Will money buy these? Perhaps money buys retention and the ability to hold on to highly skilled employees before they bolt to the competition. A bidding war ensues. With money being equal – who will the employee choose? And why?
Well heeled employers who fairly pay employees, have a high rate of “ money driven malcontents” when there significant dysfunctional characteristics are present in the workplace.
Havighurst discussed the absence of… as a factor in human behavior. The absence of employee loyalty, honesty, commitment to quality, employee empowerment, esprit de corps. Money cannot buy these factors which are essential to employee satisfaction. Dysfunction is a generalized company climate. Created, promoted and sustained by inept management and leadership.
Employees generally want to enjoy their work: take pride in where they work and the functions they perform. The erosion of these positive characteristics can be avoided by “ believable leadership”. Leaders who command trust: care about their employees, and who act in concert with the belief systems they talk about. Transparency, honesty, and value driven are the 3 key words by which they live. These characteristics are priceless.
Personal relationships and businesses have transparency, honesty and values are their cores. While “money” may be a center of heated discussions , a question to be asked – How did we get here? What are we as a marital team willing to do to change the atmospherics?

What can diamonds buy?

FOLLOWERSHIP – A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION FROM LEADERSHIP

Always #1 in her class: star athlete on the soccer team: class president, Then a meteoric rise up the corporate ladder of an international manufacturing firm. Hired as a financial analyst she soon was sitting with the suits in the board room. Travel abroad, An influential voice, she led others to buy into and implement the firm’s vision. Charismatic, verbose, she has been a recognized leader wherever the waves of career life have taken her.
The economic downturn crushed her upward climb. It’s not easy for a 35 year old with a base salary of $300,000 to land on her feet after being “downsized” by a firm which soon shuttered its doors forever.
With a rolodex of hundreds of contacts, networking her way into interviews was relatively easy. The employment offers were, to say the least, startling. Positions at the top of organizational pyramids are limited during a time of economic contraction.
Eventually a position as a vice president of this and that in a stable, family owned firm became available and she accepted.
She found herself posited in a nondescript office, no windows, no executive assistant . A minion in a company where change, out of the box thinking, and the aggressive charge to gain market share are anathema to the family decision makers.
The suits walk past her office on the way to the board room. Arms filled with binders, charts, and folders with power point slides. Determined, shoulders back, and air of confidence that she remembers well. The chit chat of decision makers fills the corridors.
Meetings end, the directors head off for an extended lunch . Fond memories of when she was a power broker.
Afternoon arrives, and it is time for the post board – 2 o’clock “ status meeting”. It is the time where an “overview is presented” – where she is expected to sit, listen, smile, and agree. Then it’s delegation time. Study this, get statistics on that, develop a strategy for program implementation. Oh yes, she has the opportunity for input, ideas and recommendations. But the real gutsy broad strokes of decision making are made in the board room.
She knows better strategies and more efficient ways of moving the company forward. Biting her tongue, suppressing her intellect are the challenges of the moment. Being a follower requires loyalty, patience, and caution. Three qualities that she expected of others on her way up the corporate ladder. A visionary, she is now expected to think in the immediate – the short term. The subtle permutations of decision making are not of her concern.
Can she suppress, until the next opportunity presents itself, her natural gifts of leadership and charismatic decision making?
Being a successful follower requires a somewhat different/ but complimentary skill set of a leader. For our former executive, the following are some characteristics of being a successful follower:
• Self management
• Commitment
• Focus
• Skill mastery
• Courage – credibility and honesty
• Critical thinking- leaning forward into the situation at hand while anticipating future requirements
• Highly participative
• Courageously dissents, shares credit, habitually exercises superior judgment
• Active (not passive) team member.
As a follower do you embody these characteristics?
As a leader – do you expect followers to embody these characteristics which ultimately serve as the foundational skills for leadership development? Perhaps you might want to consider them as part of your next leadership skills program.

There are leaders and then there are followers