a long list of prospective candidates

I haven't got the slightest idea how to change people, but still I keep a long list of prospective candidates just in case I should ever figure it out.

David Sedaris

Naked by David Sedaris. Little, Brown. 2009. As found in 2022 Great Quotes From Great Leaders Boxed Calendar: 365 Inspirational Quotes From Leaders Who Shaped the World. 

and no further guidance

Major Dick Winters is an extraordinary human being. Very self-effacing and very professional in a soldierly manner. When I met him I had showed him my training schedule and said, “Sir can you look and suggest anything I might do differently?” And he had read it the night before. He said, “You know Captain - I think this  would be adequate. Of course it’s not really the aspect of the training, it’s the quality of the training. It’s the Leadership.” And I said, “Yes sir. I understand that full well.” And he said, “I don’t have anything particular to add - except do it well - and hang tough.” And I said, “Yes sir. Absolutely will do that.”  

And I wanted him to come and observe. And in the moment he said, “No, I don’t think I will.” What I sensed was, not that Dick Winters wasn’t interested - Lord knows he was - but he trusted me, as a subordinate, as a fellow officer - he trusted me to do it right. And to me that was the world’s greatest compliment. That he would say, “ No I don’t want to come out and monitor what you’re doing. I trust you to do it. You are a young company commander. I’m the old battalion commander. I was fired up because nothing inspires a leader more than being given a basic mission and no further guidance. “This is what I want you to do. It is up to you as a professional to get it done.” And that’s what Dick Winters did with me. 

Capt. Dale Dye

Band of Brothers Podcast, Episode 3 "Carentan" with Capt. Dale Dye & Matthew Settle. hosted by Roger Bennett. 

sincere words of praise

Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise.

They're absolutely free and worth a fortune

Sam Walton

Sam Walton: Made in America. Bantam Books. 1993. p.315. As found in 2022 Great Quotes From Great Leaders Boxed Calendar: 365 Inspirational Quotes From Leaders Who Shaped the World.

the big idea

When you start telling a story to a friend or colleague, you automatically start thinking about all the different pieces you want to remember to share. Companies often take the same approach in their marketing and fill their story with as many features, benefits, and cool bits of information as possible.

Unfortunately, when you try to tell someone everything, they end up remembering nothing. That’s why the big idea is so important. It’s the heart of your brand strategy: the one concept or idea you want people to remember. It’s even more powerful when that one thing differentiates your business from your competitors.

Ward Andrews

"The Power of Storytelling," Drawbackwards Blog. April 18, 2017

dropping all pretenses

Here’s a shocker: your people already know you have flaws! So if you make a mistake, admit it. If you need help, ask for it. When leaders admit their mistakes and ask for help, it creates stronger, more trusting relationships with team members.

Dropping all pretenses and letting your people get to know the person behind the title won’t cause them to lose respect for you. Quite the opposite. It will allow them to see you for who you really are—a confident leader who cares about their people and is comfortable in their own skin.

Ken Blanchard

"Everyone Benefits When Leaders Get Real," Linkedin Article. May 12, 2022