12 O'Clock High

Richard Lummis and I are back to continue our series of exploring leadership through the study of US Presidents. This episode begins a short series on Gilded Age Presidents, now largely forgotten. In this episode we take up Grover Cleveland.Some of the highlights include:Educational and Professional-background of Grover ClevelandNew York Politician including his term as Mayor of Buffalo and Governor of NY Election Campaigns, including Rum, Romanism and Rebellion Presidency including Reform (1st term); the Tariff (1st term); Military Policy (1st term); Labor unrest and Pullman Strike (2nd term) and Foreign affairs (2nd term)Leadership Issuesincluding (1) Why tone at the top matters? A Public Office is a Public Trust; (2) How Cleveland helped to return power to the Executive Branch; (3) When is the ‘vision thing’ needed? and (6) Servant Leadership- Officeholders are the agents of the people, not their masters.

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Richard Lummis and I are back to continue our series of exploring leadership through the study of US Presidents. This episode begins a short series on Gilded Age Presidents, now largely forgotten. In this episode we take up Chester A. Arthur. Some of the highlights include:Educational and Professional Background of Chester A. ArthurHis time as a New York politician, including work in the Conkling Political Machine and as Head of Customs House and conflict with President HaysHis Stalwart Candidacy as Vice PresidentHis election and short tenure as VP.Leadership issues from his Presidency, including the confusion on how to take office, his enactment of Civil Service reform, his work on the surplus budget and the tariff, immigration issues and Civil Rights in the South.Leadership Issues, including (a) What are your expectations? (b) How much does a leader’s health matter? (c) Arthur adopted a code for his own political behavior but subject to three restraints: he remained to everyone a man of his word; he kept scrupulously free from corrupt graft; he maintained a personal dignity, affable and genial though he might be.

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Richard Lummis and I are back to continue our series of exploring leadership through the study of US Presidents. This episode begins a short series on Gilded Age Presidents, now largely forgotten. In this episode we take up James Garfield. Some of the highlights include:James Garfield Educational and Professional Background.History as Radical Republican.Crédit Mobilier scandal of 1872.Nomination and Election of 1880.Presidency including the Tariff, Purging the Post Office, Supreme Court Nominations, Proposal for universal education and Assassination.Leadership Issues including the importance of strong ethics, a strong believer in education and Goldbug-a man for his times?

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Richard Lummis and I are back to continue our series of exploring leadership through the study of US Presidents. This episode begins a short series on Gilded Age Presidents, now largely forgotten. In this episode we take up Rutherford B. Hayes.

 Some of the issues posed include:

Some of the issues posed include:

Hayes Educational and Professional Background

The Disputed Election of 1876 and Compromise-(1)Election Commission; (2) Terms of the Compromise and (3) Was it necessary?

Hayes’ Presidency-(1) Reconstruction ends-was it inevitable? (2) Civil Service Reform; (3) Cabinet Selections; (4) Port of New York and (5) the Post Office.

Foreign Policy-(1) Paraguay War settlement; (2) Mexican border crisis and (3) Immigration issues.

Great RR Strike of 1877, the Great Western Tour, his Indian Policy and Lemonade Lucy

Hayes Leadership Issues-(1)“He serves his party best, who serves his country best.”; (2) Rutherford the Rover; (3) Use of veto and (4) Conflicts with Congress over Congressional v. Executive Power.

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Richard Lummis and I are back and we head in a different direction today. This episode begins a three-part podcast series where consider the two principals from a titanic struggle in the early 1950s. It was between President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur. In today’s Part 3, we consider some of the leadership lessons from Truman’s decision to and sacking of MacArthur. Some of the issues posed include: ·     Was the sacking inevitable? ·     How much control must you have on subordinate? How much should you have?·     MacArthur said he wanted to save live; Truman wanted to end the war. Were these mutually exclusive bargaining positions? ·     Was MacArthur subordinate when he sabotaged Truman’s attempt at a cease fire?·     What would you have done?·     What should a leader do in the face of criticism like the Benning letter? Additional resources The Firing of MacArthurThe Benning Letter

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Richard Lummis and I are back and we head in a different direction today. This episode begins a three-part podcast series where consider the two principals from a titanic struggle in the early 1950s. It was between President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur. In today’s Part 2, we consider some of the leadership lessons from MacArthur. Some of the issues posed by a study of MacArthur’s leadership style include: ·     Some of the leadership principles of MacArthur included: (a) The Confidence to Stand Alone; (b) The Courage to Make Tough Decisions; and (c) The Compassion to Listen to the Needs of Others. ·     Treat subordinates with respect but when it comes time to terminate, do so. ·     Delegate when appropriate but keep the decisions you to make to yourself.·     Stay cool, calm and collected. ·     Always set an example for your subordinates.  Additional resources 3 Traits of a True LeaderLeadership Lessons for New Managers from an Old General

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Richard Lummis and I are back and we head in a different direction today. This episode begins a three-part podcast series where consider the two principals from a titanic struggle in the early 1950s. It was between President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur. Some of the highlights of this podcast include: ·     Some of the leadership principles of Truman included: (a) do not mistake yourself for the institution; (b) keep a court jester; (c) understand the limits to your power; and (d) don’t worry about being or staying popular. ·     Make peace with your decisions and move on. ·     You can get much more done if you don’t worry about who gets credit.·     Surround yourself with the top talent and listen to them. ·     Truman’s personal assets included, humility, honesty, intellectual integrity, homespun character and the ability to speak plain truths.  Additional resources Harry Truman’s Reality-Based LeadershipLeadership Qualities of Harry S. Truman

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Richard Lummis and I are back and today we head in a different direction. We consider the final Bernie Gunther novel by Philip Kerr Metropolis. It is the final Gunther novel as Kerr died earlier this year. The novel is a prequel to the entire series, taking place in 1928, near the end of the Weimar Republic. Some of the highlights were:The city of Berlin as a character in the novel;Bernie Gunther as Phillip Marlow?How close are the police to those they police?What is the symbiotic relationship between the police and criminals of the city?Why is the Weimar Republic in many ways the undiscovered country for Americans? andRichard and I asses not only this book but the entire Gunther series.

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We are back with our fan favorite Oscar movie month. During the month of February each year, we look at Oscar-winning Best Pictures and consider the leadership lessons we glean from our viewing. This month we look at three: No Country for Old Men, The Sting and The Last Emperor. In this episode of 12 O’Clock High, a podcast on business leadership, Richard Lummis and I take at the 1987 Best Picture winning film, The Last Emperor. Some of the highlights were: ·     This was the first movie shot in the Forbidden City;·     How does one lead in an era or region of different values and different cultures?·     Are the trappings of your power as a business leader only that, mere trappings? If so what does this mean?·     How does your company do business outside the US? and·     Why does even the best leader sometimes need to bring in an outside expert to assist? 

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We are back with our fan favorite Oscar movie month. During the month of February each year, we look at Oscar-winning Best Pictures and consider the leadership lessons we glean from our viewing. This month we look at three: No Country for Old Men, The Sting and The Last Emperor. In this episode of 12 O’Clock High, a podcast on business leadership, Richard Lummis and I take at the 1973 Best Picture winning film, The Sting. Some of the highlights were: ·     Best Costume Design Oscar to Edith Head was key reason for the film’s success;·     How many red flags did Doyle Lonnegan miss involving Gondorff and Hooker?·     How did Marvin Hamlisch’s interpretation of Scott Joplin enhance the movie?·     The script was discovered in an agent’s ‘slush pile’ of unread scripts; and·     How can a leader use the talent and resources available to him or her to achieve a goal? 

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