You know, I actually forgot about a conversation I had with a previous director that really made me angry at the time. I'm actually surprised that I forgot about it. I was having an issue with a troublesome employee on one of my teams. It was nothing I couldn't handle, but just needed some work to get through. I had a problem with this person doing what was directly told to him, and nothing more. My director made a statement to me that "This is the military way of thinking. You say charge that hill, they charge that hill, they have no intuition when it comes to these things". I found that statement to be obnoxious. I'm guessing he didn't know he was talking to an ex-military man in myself. This immediately told me he has never been in the military. What could he possibly know about what being, or having been in the military means in relation to being a great employee? I think being in the military builds character, strength and the undeniable faith in the strength in numbers on a well developed, singularly purposed team. At that moment, I decided I didn't want to work for such a short sighted manager, and I vowed to never be "that guy"

The word leader brings to mind somebody that stands in front, guides people, and inspires people to follow. Being a leader is not as simple as the dictionary definition would make it. Ive been a leader in the IT industry for many years now, and I understand that being a leader means having people respect your vision, and follow it. People do not follow titles. It's been said time and time again, but it is no less true today than ever. People follow respect, courage, and the willingness to question complacency. "Why do we do things this way? -because that's what we've always done." These are things that good leaders will never say. Good leaders inspire and teach, while building relationships that last beyond job roles or responsibilities. Managers leave companies because of poor leadership. Relationships are broken due to poor leadership. I often tell people I learned more about being a leader by working for extremely poor managers than I ever did working for good ones. "Natural born leader". I hear that term very often, and believe such a term is ridiculous. There is no such thing as a natural born leader. Leaders are forged through trial and error and driving forward even though you might get knocked down a few times. It's not about how many times you've failed, or how many mistakes you've made. It's about what you do in between those failures that measures who you are. In his time Babe Ruth had more strikeouts at the plate than anybody in history, and very few people actually know that, because of the successes and heights he reached in his career. I want people to say about me that I inspired them, drove them, and showed them success, rather than the mundane fact that I was their manager.

Are you a good leader? Would those who have reported to you in the past agree?

I've been a parent for quite a few years now. I have a variety of kids and a variety of issues that they all deal with that are part of my life. Recently, while watching a show on television I heard a comment about how raising a kid requires a lot of work, and I must say I can attest to that one. Being a parent is not easy. It requires you to be strong and teach your kids a lesson even though it might not be their favorite subject at the time. It requires you to be the moral wall that stops them from misbehaving or making mistakes even though it won't win you popularity points with your kids. It requires you to see to it that your kids are disciplined and focused in their lives, and learn the value of achievement, and the disappointment of failure. They need these tools in life. Nobody ever said it was easy. It shouldn't be. If being a parent is easy for you, you aren't a good one.

On our vacation to Houston in May, I had the honor of spending a day with my stepson, and visiting the USS Texas memorial. I can't begin to describe what a cool experience that was. I am a huge history buff, and I especially like to learn and discuss war history. This fact was particularly important when I was aboard the Texas. As I walked along her deck, I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that this particular battleship had played a critical part in many naval battles in World War II, including the invasion of normandy on D-Day in June of 1944. I was overwhelmed with the history of the ship. I thought about the hundreds of young sailors who had served on the Texas and how many had given their lives, and I was humbled by the experience. I wondered what they were like and how they lived. I saw the racks where they slept, and I was amazed at how little space there was... As I walked down the halls, I thought about all the people who had made that walk before me. I also wondered what it would be like to be aboard a ship like this during wartime. As we went back up on deck, I saw all of the huge guns that adorned her deck, sitting lifeless and quiet, and imagined the roar of them going off. It was an honor being aboard the Texas, and experiencing the amazing history of standing in a place where men fought and gave their lives for our country and our freedom.

I just got back from vacation with the family in Houston. We had a blast!!! I don't get to go on vacation very often, as a matter of fact...nearly never. This last week was the most fun I've had in a long time. We spent a lot of time swimming in the Gulf, riding speedboats and going out every night with the family and just having a great time. I posted some pictures on my site, http://www.BobsPlanet.net if you want to see them!!!