Doing Leadership or Being a Leader? …DeMarco Banter

As another class graduates the USAF's Officer Training School and we launch another round of officers into the breach of America's military--I know we are indeed training officers, but I wonder if we are really building leaders. Massive bureaucracies tend to only think of leadership in terms of action--as in...what can we measure?  What can …

Walking through Cambridge: The Pink Floyd Sound—Us and Them and Losing One’s Sanity—DeMarco Banter

I consider myself fortunate—twice a year I get to return to the town of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.  Walking the streets in Cambridge is always a treat and there is nothing better than grabbing a cappuccino at Nero’s Coffee right across the street from King’s College and just pondering all the historical figures that …

The Leadership Power of the Seven “Cs”: DeMarco Banter

For some strange reason, the letter “C” offers the solution to so many problems.  A good while ago, we wrote a piece on solving the issues of crisis, complexity, and confusion through communication, collaboration, and creative thinking.  “C” also offers concepts in leadership as well. There is this unhealthy cycle that can develop in leaders …

Delegation…What is it good for? Absolutely everything: DeMarco Banter

Delegation (or passing down) is the partnership of authority and responsibility to another person (normally from a manager to a subordinate) to carry out specific activities. It is one of the core concepts of leadership. However the person who delegated the work remains accountable for the outcome of the delegated work. Delegation empowers a subordinate …

Strategoi, Socrates, Xenophon, and the Shape of Strategic Leaders: DeMarco Banter

As usual... I have about 5 books open at any one time trying to merge data together into some sort of coherent theory--it is like painting a picture. One thought that struck me was- how would I explain to leaders how to transition from one position to another? Harkening back to an earlier post on …

Shine On You Crazy Diamond—How To Get a Diamond To Shine: DeMarco Banter

Come on you raver, you seer of visions, come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine! -Pink Floyd Most natural diamonds are formed at high temperature and pressure at depths of 87 to 118 miles in the Earth's mantle. Diamonds are made to shine using grit. All gems are cut and polished by progressive …