Semantics of Leadership

Is opening a car door for a lady, sexist? Jess and Tim discuss a radio debate and how it applies to the workplace.

Tim and Jess have been absent from the Podcasting World but they're back with some authority. Today's discussion is about some life events in Tim and Jess' world. Tim summarizes nearly 15 hours of personal conversations he had with his 91 year-old grandfather and WWII vet, who just lost his wife after 68 years of marriage. Jess drops the bomb that a move to Fort Lauderdale is in the distant future. Welcome back!

Tim's hit life's rut and blown out both front tires. The last two weeks have been hectic and energy draining so podcasting has taken a back seat. Luckily, Jess has returned and inspired him to podcast about resiliency and returning to the things that make him happy: writing and podcasting. This podcast is for anyone that has hit a wall in life and needs some inspiration to bounce back.

Why do we always search for a scapegoat? Why do we always look to hold someone accountable first without examining the broken processes that caused the error or "poor" performance? Is it human nature? Can we avoid this behavior?

Tim and Jess discuss college degrees and their necessity and value. Should you have a college degree to be considered the next President of the United States? Tim doesn't have a degree and Jess does so they both discuss their differences of opinion as well as their thoughts that run parallel.

Jess has spent the last few weeks in Virginia, attending a Coast Guard Search and Rescue Planning Course. She deep-dives into the "ART" of Search and Rescue, what she's learned, what she hopes to takeaway in the last two weeks, and even a misconception or two of her own that she has discovered.

Tim and Jess spend the weekend in D.C. Inspiration is plentiful and they discuss everything from the moment Tim realizes why Aliens have big heads in movies to the enormity of Thomas Jefferson's Library. The Holocaust Museum provides some life perspective and the frigid weekend temperatures simply could not deter exploration.

We lead others based upon our assumptions of other people. If you're constantly checking up on people, the micromanager, it's because you possibly lack trust. If you think rewards and bonuses foster productivity, you potentially assume people are lazy, thus it's necessary to coax out the effort. Our assumptions about anything: people, life, work, effect how we act. Everyone should recognize they have a leadership philosophy, put it into words, and analyze.

Our 16th President was arguably the greatest in American History. From being a Captain in the Army during the Black Hawk War to delivering one of the greatest speeches in American History, Abraham Lincoln set the standard for leadership through crisis. Here's a quick podcasting tribute where Tim discusses time travel, podcasting from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and the Gettysburg Address.

Decisions we make can influence others either negatively or positively. Our daily presence in the workplace and at home can influence others in the same way. Like throwing a rock in a pond, our decisions and influence, can create a ripple effect or a tsunami. The latter can: produce catastrophic results, negatively alter outcomes, cast doubt, or reduce overall morale of the team.

For anyone with teens thinking about joining the military, for adults contemplating this decision, or if you know anyone else that falls into this category, this podcast is for you. Tim discusses some of the benefits and experiences he's had after nearly 20 years in the US Coast Guard. Every branch of service is unique and different but some challenges and benefits transcend all 5 services.

The Minotaur, half man and half bull, is obviously a legendary Greek myth but, is a mentor also mythical? Are there really any true mentors out there? Jess emails in from Virginia discussing her feelings about mentoring other females in the military when she's asked to do so based solely upon her gender. Hint: It frustrates her! Tim discusses 3 mentors that impacted him throughout his career.

Tim deep-dives into the past 20 years of Coast Guard service. "An Ocean Full of Life Lessons," is pure reflection. Tim gives a toast to the Ocean and all it has taught him about the Coast Guard, people, human nature, humility, leadership, and life.

Jess and Tim summarize their first month as podcasters. What went right? What went wrong?How did their views on leadership change after talking so much about the topic? What did they learn and how can they improve? This episode is an introspective look @ the Semantics of Leadership! What's in store for the future?

Everyone faces adversity. Tim discusses adversity and its relativity to all situations and to each person. Jess gets a little personal with one of her "adversity" pet peeves. Can a professional athlete really face adversity on the playing field? Is that real adversity?

Tim and Jess debate leadership and management. How do they differ? How are they similar? Is one more dominating than the other and which one is more effective?

Jess is feeling the freestyle flow and encourages Tim to rip off some free flowing thoughts. Nothing specific on this one... just some random thoughts as Tim and Jess both recap their week and what lies ahead.

Fortitude. There are many traits and characteristics that course through the leader's veins but fortitude might arguably be the most valuable. Jess shares a personal story about fortitude and Tim discusses fortitude's link to humility and being able to ask for help when you don't have all the answers.

Tim and Jess discuss an article by Michael Hyatt and his "20 Questions To Ask Other Leaders." In this podcast we tackle: "How do you help a new employee understand the culture of your organization?"

Tim attempts skiing for the 2nd time in his life. Wasn't pretty. The Snow-Pacolypse 2015 is at the center of this discussion. Meteorologists are getting hammered for "under-forecasting." How can leadership help them overcome adversity and public scrutiny?

Tim discusses why he started his leadership blog, "the fog of leadership" including, why he chose that name and how he hopes to inspire and advance the leadership discussion with anyone who will listen.

Tim and Jess debate whether leadership is mostly proactive or reactive. Are we able to plan and predict as leaders or should we focus our efforts on observing everything happening around us and react accordingly?

Tim is a little surprised when Jess chooses a topic he's unaware of. When she brings up Vince Lombardi and one of his most timeless quotes, then disagrees with it, he's even more surprised.

Jess and Tim tell their personal stories, discussing life before the Coast Guard and how they ended up joining the military.

Tim and Jess discuss a leader's legacy and Tim attempts to explain what he'd like written on his leadership tombstone and why.

Tim and Jess discuss MLK and his ability to inspire millions of people to rally for a cause, all without Facebook and Twitter. They flip the tables and discuss the evil side of "leadership."

Jess shares her leadership project and recounts the rescue of the crew of the S.S. Pendleton in February of 1952. This would become arguably one of the greatest rescues in Coast Guard history, rich in leadership lessons and heroism.

Tim discusses the fear of failing and how that served as his primary self-motivator throughout his Coast Guard career. Is that a normal self-motivating technique? He's not so sure and would love to hear your thoughts. Also, his visit to the "Goonies" house in Astoria tops his bucket list of the week experience.

There's a distinct difference between making changes and making improvements. Jess and Tim discuss the benefits of making improvements and the pitfalls of making changes.

Tim and Jess discuss one of leadership's more subtle characteristics... Follower-ship, AKA servant leadership. Knowing when to be a good follower and how it can sharpen your leadership skills.

Jess and Tim deep-dive into credibility and discover that you don't have to have all the knowledge and experience to establish credibility in the workplace. Some true-grit effort goes a long way!

Jess gets personal as she describes one of the most challenging decisions she ever had to make during a rescue and what she learned from that experience.

Jess describes character as one of the leadership traits she most admires and Tim breaks through with his fascination of being a leader that listens and allows others to make decisions.

After discussing children and leadership, Tim and Jess get "back to the basics," with their leadership discussion. Tim defines leadership on paper for the first time in his life.

Jess asks Tim to discuss some of his leadership decisions and whether or not he "brought it" or flopped big time.

In 2006, at age 29, Tim assumed command of a Coast Guard Search and Rescue unit on Lake Erie. This episode is dedicated to the opportunity he was provided, a few leadership reflections from that opportunity, and his crew that performed the missions and served our country.

Tim and Jess discuss what leadership means to Tim's 13 year-old son Michael. Also, what leadership opportunities do kids have and how do we grow our "Little Leaders?"

Tim gets a chance to discuss his favorite leadership traits but gets caught off guard when Jess challenges his very first example.

Jess and Tim get wrapped around humility in Episode 2.

Tim and Jess discuss all topics related to leadership. We ask you to join us on our leadership journey on a quest for knowledge.