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Words of American Leadership

When I listen to the current bluster and bullying that comes from our leaders now in this 250th anniversary year of our American experiment in democracy, I realize that trash talk may work in wrestling matches, but it has no place in negotiations on war when decency and diplomacy could save lives and allow people on earth to live in peace and harmony. With good rhetoric in mind, I have been looking in Jon Meacham’s book, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union: an Anthology. This Pulitzer Prize winning collection of speeches by great Americans ...

In a state of flux

You have to hand it to him, Donald Trump is a master at keeping matters in a state of flux. The short but sweet "agreement" amounted to an understanding to negotiate between the United States and Iran. Nothing was fully decided except perhaps the opening of the Straits of Hormuz. As with everything regarding Trump, it has to have an asterisk attached. Trump continues to fake and fire. Despite the understanding that this was an agreement that failed to address the original goals, which were regime change in Tehran, a definitive statement on nuclear arms and ballistic missiles being ...

Kump House Pie Auction offers sweet surprises

Every year when the Kump Education Center Pie Auction planning starts, I am surprised by the endless creativity of our Board of Directors and local volunteers. The pies themselves are hidden treasures. That is what I like best about pies. Each one is a baker’s present offering something special wrapped inside a tasty pastry. They all make pies for the preservation of the historic Kump House. Once again, this year our resourceful and creative pie collector is Laura Santmyer, and she tells me she is planning on having 40 pies. Laura has a host of helpful friends who bake wonderful pies ...

Five ways to reduce leadership variance

Reducing variance has been a key focus of mine for many years. Notice I said many years. It shows that reducing variance is a never-ending journey. Is leadership variance always a bad thing? There are those situations when a leader may vary an approach seeking improvement. I call these operational trials. There are times when a situation arises where a process or action needs to not be followed. These are isolated or emergency situations. In general, reducing leadership variance is important and helpful. Why? Employees perform better when there is consistency, which is driven by ...

Huge changes in a short time

American politics continues to be determined by social media, whose tone remains reliably shrill. Republicans peddle philosophies that are not particularly conservative. Everything has been reduced to sentimentality, and core complaints are rooted in notions that are considered good because they are old. Conservatism at its best is based on ideas backed by reason and supported by science. Democrats may have their spells of ultra-sweet puerile thoughts, but on the whole, they want to move clumsily into the future. For both parties, Donald Trump remains a conundrum. Issues like abortion ...

Fox Forest foray set for Sunday

Join us for a Fox Forest foray starting at 1 p.m. this Sunday afternoon near the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) boat dock landing on Scotts Ford Road. This hike was organized by the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) as part of a “Community Trail Talks” series. Hikers will walk through several sections of Fox Forest Wildlife Management Area on the improved trails. We will see the Tygart Valley River from the Overlook Trail and view Scott Hill homeplace from the High Overlook. Most of the land on the Overlook Trail was once owned by Cyrus H. ...