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Articles by Jason Motes
Book Review: When Left Turns Go Right by Jere Stille
Finding The Good When Bad Things Happen The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Everyone has the ability and power to turn the unexpected into great outcomes. Executive Summary Life presents challenges that we must confront with a choice: to face the difficulty and turn it for good or to give in and live a life that’s not meant for us.
Consistency in Leadership is Required
"Mission Commander for President!" exclaimed one of my troops as I walked away from a military formation (all hands) on a freezing morning in a remote location. I had just made an announcement that was well-received by the troops, with some good news or a positive update to look forward to. Considering we were all in a less-than-ideal environment, roughing it out and trying to get through each day as we prepared for our pre-deployment certification, any good news made a big difference.
Creating Your Ideal Leadership Shape
Are you considering a career change to find greater satisfaction, meaning, and fulfillment in your role? If you're on the fence about whether to stay or move on from your current role, keep reading because this article may help you. Finding meaning and fulfillment, especially in our employment roles, is easier said than done. But fundamentally, it's about who you are, what you want, and where you want to be. If you're just starting your career, it might take some time to get there.
Book Review — Do More, More Naturally by Amy Bruske & David Kolbe
Book Review — Do More, More Naturally The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Sustainable success comes from embracing your natural strengths — understanding how you operate, committing to those strengths, and working with others to accomplish more. Do More, More Naturally offers a compelling argument for redefining how we view success, productivity, and teamwork.
Book Review — The Boardroom Journey by Dr. Keith Dorsey
The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Aspiring board members who cultivate purpose with resilience can earn a seat at the table and create lasting impact and legacy. The Boardroom Journey book provides a roadmap for aspiring corporate directors, outlining the path from motivation to preparation and ultimately thriving in board service. Divided into three parts — Surveying the Landscape, Gearing Up for the Trek, and Navigating the Journey — it emphasizes self-awareness, skill-building, and resilience.
Book Review - Leaders Made Here
The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Leaders who want to be great must be willing to serve. To achieve something greater than oneself, you can’t do it alone. That’s the story of Blake, an accomplished Chief Executive Officer brought in to lead an underperforming company, and his colleague, Charles, an experienced and long-tenured Human Resources executive assigned to help build a sustainable leadership culture.
Book Review - The Invisible Medal
The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Success is irrelevant when compared to influence and significance that positively impact others’ lives. Serving others is the highest calling, and anyone who wants to lead must first serve. Servant leadership involves prioritizing the well-being of those we care for above all else.
Book Review - Prove Them Wrong
Quick and pointed reviews of the latest business, leadership, and management books! Follow publication Defying All Odds, How a Triplet Survived a Chicago Gang and Graduated From the U.S. Naval Academy The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): When living one’s purpose is fueled by one’s past, with faith, grit, and resilience, even the toughest odds can be beaten.
Book Review - The Leader’s Mind
How Great Leaders Prepare, Perform, and Prevail The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Cultivating a leader’s mind develops the leader and enables them to develop others to make a difference. Executive summary The Leader’s Mind explores how leaders think and act during challenges, including times of trial, tribulation, and when overcoming the seemingly impossible.
The Mission or the Member
Relevant leadership articles for every leader, team, and organization. Leading teams is not binary — you must learn to operate where appropriate. What comes first — the mission or the member? What if I told you that leadership isn’t binary and that there’s a significant gray area leaders must navigate to make the right decisions? Would you agree? Would you disagree?
Leading When Things Are Broken
Relevant leadership articles for every leader, team, and organization. Follow publication A Process for Every Leader to Overcome Organizational Challenges and Adversity Ok, you’ve taken over a team or organization, and there are glaring issues. It’s underperforming, and you notice this right from the start. Problems are everywhere.
Book Review - Legion Rising by Jeff Morris
Quick and pointed reviews of the latest business, leadership, and management books! Follow publication Surviving Combat and the Scars It Left Behind The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Life’s obstacles never get easier, but together we rise. Executive summary Army Captain Jeff Morris’ journey from the Florida panhandle to becoming an accomplished corporate professional is unique; yet, the principles behind his success are quite relatable: perseverance.
Book Review - Why CEOs Fail by Cairo & Dotlich
Quick and pointed reviews of the latest business, leadership, and management books! Follow publication The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb to the Top — and How to Manage Them The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Leaders fail because of who they are and how they act in certain situations. Executive summary Many books cover topics related to the character attributes that differentiate good leaders from bad ones as well as good leaders from great ones.
Setting Your Teams Up for Success
Relevant leadership articles for every leader, team, and organization. Follow publication Effective Leadership Requires Delivering Executable Guidance It’s undeniable that everyone on your team wants and deserves executable guidance. I spent years in medical device sales, a career path I chose after leaving active-duty military service and opting to continue my military commitment as a reservist, which allowed me to launch a corporate career.
Book Review - LEAD by Dana R. Gordon
Leading, Empowering, and Developing The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Communication, character, care, and effort drive success in high-stakes environments. Executive summary LEAD is a practical and insightful guide to leadership, empowerment, and personal development, built on real-world experience and clear, actionable principles.
Book Review: The Trifecta of Trust by Joe Folkman
Quick and pointed reviews of the latest business, leadership, and management books! Follow publication The Proven Formula for Building and Restoring Trust The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Establishing and maintaining trust relies on three key elements — expertise, consistency, and relationships. Executive Summary Trust is a cornerstone of effective leadership, yet many leaders remain unaware of how much — or how little — they are trusted.
In Service to the Client
Leadership Coaching is More Than Facilitating Growth Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in The Leadership Continues · 4 min read · -- Photo by Paul Fiedler on Unsplash What distinguishes impactful leadership development? Coaching. And more specifically, coaching that serves the client. Leadership coaching is a complex, compelling, fulfilling, and rewarding process.
Book Review - unSEALed by Mark Greene
A Navy SEAL’s Guide to Mastering Life’s Transitions Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in The Leader’s Review · 8 min read · -- The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Elite performance and near-death experiences cannot prepare you for a veteran’s hardest moments.
When All Else Fails, Lead With The Basics
Remember Who You Are When Leading Through Difficulty Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in VALiDITEA® · 4 min read · -- Photo by Weichao Deng on Unsplash Remember the saying, “When all else fails, read the instructions?” I do, and the first time I remember seeing it was in elementary school, maybe as early as the third grade. However, what it meant to me then and what it means to me now are two completely different things. Context matters here, and I will explain why in a moment.
The Thin Line Between People Leadership and Results
A Narrow Focus Could Cost You Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in VALiDITEA® · 5 min read · -- Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash By sheer coincidence, I had similar discussions about the importance of people leadership with two executives from completely different Fortune 50 companies in one day.
Navigating The Work Emergency
Frequently Re-prioritizing Talent May Have Consequences Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in VALiDITEA® · 5 min read · -- Photo by Nicolas J Leclercq on Unsplash Have you ever had to stop what you’re doing at work for a work-related “emergency?” Has a leader in your organization ever said, “I need you to stop what you’re doing and focus on this instead. It’s an emergency, and the company’s leadership is asking for it.
Book Review - Lessons From The Admiral by Mark C. Fava
Naval Wisdom and Sea Stories for Leaders Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in The Leader’s Review · 7 min read · -- The Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Learning about leadership early pays dividends throughout life and work. Executive summary It takes a village. Notable figures with immense responsibilities fill positions of stature in the military, the public, and the private sectors.
Book Review - The Coaching Effect by Bill Eckstrom & Sarah Wirth
What Great Leaders Do To Increase Sales, Enhance Performance, And Sustain Growth Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in The Leader’s Review · 9 min read · -- BLUF: The right mix of order, relationship, and complexity is required to achieve and sustain growth. Executive summary No matter where you fall on the spectrum of performance improvement, there is a section in The Coaching Effect that will resonate with you.
Passion Promotes Performance
Loving What You Do Helps Deliver Results Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in VALiDITEA® · 6 min read · -- Photo by Bailey Alexander on Unsplash You can excel in your craft without a deep love for it, but be warned: it’s quite challenging to achieve. If you are passionate about what you do, you will recognize it. Those who have reached and maintained greatness in their craft generally did so because of this passion.
Book Review - Knight Work by Lloyd Knight
Veteran Author Series: An Air Force Veteran’s Unfinished Journey Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in The Leader’s Review · 7 min read · -- The BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Even in our heaviest moments, acts of service done with purpose will drive and ground us toward victory. Executive summary Lloyd Knight served in the U.S. Air Force for over twenty years, and during his remarkable career in uniform, he circled the globe more times than he has fingers and toes combined.
Selfless Cultures Prevail In Leadership
The 2024 College Football Season’s Lesson On Winning Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in VALiDITEA® · 5 min read · -- Photo by Darque Kj on Unsplash Winning without purpose isn’t really winning. Or is it? Toward the end of the 2024 college football season, I heard ESPN’s Marty Smith discussing the state of the University of Alabama’s football team as they approached bowl season with three losses.
Book Review: A CEO Only Does Three Things
A Blueprint For Top-Level Leadership Excellence Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in The Leader’s Review · 8 min read · -- The BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Just like the title says, the Chief Executive Officer of any organization should focus their time and attention on three things: Culture, People, and Numbers. Executive summary Harry Truman’s quote, “The buck stops here,” conveys an important message.
Getting Real and Getting Better
How the Navy’s Mantra Inspires Operational Excellence Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in VALiDITEA® · 5 min read · -- Photo by Todd Diemer on Unsplash “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” Those seven words can burden a team and an organization in unimaginable ways for many complex and nuanced reasons. We have all heard the old saying, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” But why is it an “old saying?” Well, it’s because it’s precisely that: old! It’s tired.
Clear. Concise. Confirmed.
Jason Motes, EdD · Follow Published in VALiDITEA® · 3 min read · -- My partner at Academy Leadership, Jim Nelepa, wrote a chapter for a collaborative book titled ‘Follow Me Leadership.’ The chapter title is “Clear, Concise, Confirmed.” He discusses communication, and his message is wonderfully articulated about the power of communication when it’s executed successfully.
Ryan Coogler Has Officially Signed On To Write And Direct 'Black Panther 2'
It’s official! Ryan Coogler quietly signed a deal with Marvel Studios “some time ago” to return to write and direct a sequel to his $1.3 billion smash ‘Black Panther’. After this Marvel milestone opened so amazingly, there was never any question as to whether or not there would be a sequel, but in this case, Marvel really wanted to keep the creative team as intact as possible for the follow-up.
Briarcliff Entertainment Will Deliver 'El Chicano,' The First Latino Superhero Movie With An All-Hispanic Cast
Could the Latinx community be getting their ‘Black Panther’? After the low-budget superhero film ‘El Chicano’ recently screened at the Los Angeles Film Festival, it was snapped up by Briarcliff Entertainment (‘Fahrenheit 11/9’) with an eye on distributing it in the United States. Not only does ‘El Chicano’ feature a Latinx lead character (Raúl Castillo) but an all-Hispanic cast. Castillo pulls double duty, portraying the heroic Diego and his criminal twin brother Pedro.
Prior To Their Premieres, The CW Has Ordered Extra Scripts For 'Charmed' And 'Legacies'
The CW has faith in its new shows. Prior to their premiers, The CW has already ordered additional scripts for ‘Charmed’, ‘Legacies’ and ‘All American’. ‘Charmed’ is a reboot of the classic witch series, which stars Madeleine Mantock, Melonie Diaz, and Sarah Jeffery as sisters who discover that they are the “Charmed Ones,” witches who have mystical powers meant to save the world.
'Crazy Rich Asians'' Jimmy O Yang Has Booked A Cruise To Blumhouse's 'Fantasy Island'
The cast of Blumhouse’s big screen adaptation of ‘Fantasy Island’ is rapidly filling in. It was just announced that Michael Peña (‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’, ‘Extinction’) will headline in the role of Mr. Roarke, the island host played by Ricardo Montalban in the original ABC TV series. Now he will be joined by ‘Crazy Rich Asians” Jimmy O. Yang, who plays Brax, one of the visitors who shells out big bucks in order to live out his greatest desire.
Disney Breaks Out The Final 'Ralph Breaks The Internet' Trailer
With ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ arriving next month, the final international trailer has arrived. As we already knew, Ralph and Vanellope leave Litwak’s Arcade by travelling through the new WiFi port and land in the sprawling World Wide Web, home of Google, eBay, shark videos and more. They are on a search for a replacement part for Vanellope’s game Sugar Rush which is broken. The new trailer introduces Shank, a new character voiced by ‘Wonder Woman’ star Gal Gadot.
'Game Of Thrones' Latest Security Measure? Drone Killers
According to the Los Angeles Times, drone killers are devices used by the police among others “that can disable a drone in the sky and force it back to the ground.” It “looks like a gun” and “can be aimed like a rifle or a shotgun at a drone in the air. The 30-degree field of its beam and its range of almost half a mile make the target hard to miss.” According to Oceanside police Lt. Aaron Doyle “It won’t be used when someone complains about a neighbor flying a drone.
Disney Is Rumored To Be Pursuing Lady Gaga For 'The Little Mermaid'
Perhaps ‘A Star Is Born’ should be renamed ‘A Movie Star Is Born’. This critically acclaimed film marks the film debut for pop singer Lady Gaga, who has earned raves for her acting, and Hollywood has come calling. She was reportedly offered a role in Warner Brothers’ ‘Birds of Prey’, which she turned down. Now it is rumored that Disney wants the ‘Bad Romance’ singer for a role in the live-action adaptation of ‘The Little Mermaid’.
'Titans' Producer's Comments May Hint At The TV/Movie Futures For Batgirl, Dick Grayson, Cyborg And More
Before ‘Titans’ arrived on the DC Universe streaming service, it was in development for a couple of years at TNT. Changes were made, as the original pitch included Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. But it doesn’t sound as though she will surface on ‘Titans’, even though the series has already been picked up for a second season. It seems that Warner Brothers and DC might be back to divvying up their characters between television and film, and in this case, it looks like the film division has dibs on Batgirl.
Sony Reveals The Name Of The Mystery James Gunn Horror Movie, But Pushes Release To 2019
In August, following James Gunn‘s firing by Disney after some old, offensive tweets surfaced, it was revealed that the director of the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movies had produced a secret horror movie and that it was due in theaters in November. Gunn was scheduled to appear at San Diego Comic-Con in July to discuss the film, but the Twitter leak happened just as the show was kicking off, forcing Gunn to cancel any public appearances.
Viewers Continue To Walk Away From 'The Walking Dead', As Premier Ratings Plunge
‘The Walking Dead’ has been hemorrhaging viewers for several seasons now, beginning roughly Season Six, when the show fake-killed Glenn in a cliffhanger that they refused to resolve immediately, stringing fans along for a month. The Season Nine premiere, which aired on Sunday night, October 7th, attracted 6.1M viewers, 47% fewer than last year’s Season Eight premiere, which itself was the lowest rated debut since Season Three. Among adults 18-49, ratings are down 51%.
James McAvoy Is The Beast In This 'Glass' Motion Poster
James McAvoy‘s Kevin Wendell Crumb, the lead character from M. Night Shyamalan‘s ‘Split’ is the focus of the new motion poster, meant to promote the film ‘Glass’ and to announce that a new trailer is set to arrive on Thursday. But since this movie has three focal characters, with Bruce Willis‘ David Dunn and Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass, from Shyamalan’s ‘Unbreakable’, expect them to get their own motion posters before the new trailer drops.
James Gunn Has Signed On To Write The Script For 'Suicide Squad 2' And May Direct
James Gunn appears to have landed on his feet and in another comic book film universe. He has signed a deal to write the script for Warner Brothers’ ‘Suicide Squad 2’. He has not signed on to direct, but that is an available option, depending on how the screenwriting goes. Gunn was suddenly fired from the third ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ movie by Disney in July, after some offensive, old tweets were released by alt-right activists, who disagreed with Gunn’s liberal political stance.
Jack O'Connell Is Not Being Considered For 'The Batman'... Nor Is Anyone Else
To quote Heidi Klum, “One day you’re in, the next day you’re out.” Just after rumors surfaced that Jack O’Connell (‘Godless’, ‘Unbroken’) was under consideration for the lead in Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’, which is believed to be a prequel of sorts, focusing on a young Bruce Wayne during the early days of his crime fighting career, Warner Brothers states that they are not at the casting stage yet and are more focused on getting the script to where it needs to be.
Get Your First Look At Ruby Rose As Batwoman From The CW's Arrowverse Crossover
Batwoman is here! Back in May, it was announced that another new DC superhero was entering The CW’s Arrowverse and the biggest news was that it was a member of the Batman family. While several Bat villains have made a mark on ‘Arrow’, in particular, the existences of Batman, Bruce Wayne and Gotham City have always been only vaguely referenced.
Toys 'R' Us Plans To Relaunch As Geoffrey's Toy Box In Time For Christmas!
Well, that was quick. Just months after Toys ‘R’ Us declared bankruptcy and shuttered all of its stores in the U.S., it appears that the retailer is planning a comeback that could happen next month! It seems that instead of selling off all of the assets of Toys ‘R’ Us, including intellectual properties and trademarks, to potential outside buyers, it has been decided that these assets will instead be sold to the existing controlling lenders.
Darick Robertson Discusses How Amazon's 'The Boys' Will Differ From The Comics
Amazon is turning a comic book co-created by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, ‘The Boys’ into a live-action series, courtesy of Eric Kripke, Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg.
Watch A New 'Discovery Of Witches' Trailer And Find Out When And Where It Will Be Available In The U.S.
Sky One is currently delivering ‘A Discovery of Witches’ to fans in the UK. The eight-episode series is adapted from the ‘All Souls Trilogy’ novels by Deborah Harkness and stars Teresa Palmer as the main character Diana Bishop, a witch and historian, Matthew Goode as her love interest, the vampire scientist Matthew Clermont, and Valarie Pettiford and Alex Kingston as Diana’s aunts Emily Mather and Sarah Bishop.
Shannen Doherty Won't Appear On The New 'Charmed' For An Interesting Reason
When the new ‘Charmed’ reboot on The CW was announced, the announcement read “This fierce, funny, feminist reboot of the original series centers on three sisters in a college town who discover they are witches. Between vanquishing supernatural demons, tearing down the patriarchy, and maintaining familial bonds, a witch’s work is never done.” Those involved in the original incarnation of ‘Charmed’ were not amused.
Elisabeth Shue Introduces The Seven In A New Promo For 'The Boys'
Absolute power corrupts absolutely, as the old saying goes and that concept lays the foundation for ‘The Boys’, a gritty superhero satire comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson that is now coming to Amazon Prime. In the world of ‘The Boys’, the seemingly altruistic Vought International corporation is behind the rise of superheroes, most of whom bear more than a passing resemblance to better known characters from DC and Marvel Comics.
Sarah Michelle Gellar Fully Supports The Reboot Of 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer'
Sarah Michelle Gellar has thrown her support behind the reboot of ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, a role and TV series that Gellar made famous from 1997-2003. The new version, announced in July, comes from Joss Whedon who created the first seriesm after a comedy film version proved unsuccessful years before, and ‘Midnight, Texas’ creator Monica Owusu-Breen. One thing that may have ruffled feathers, was the announcement that the new Buffy would be African American.
Ben Affleck Reportedly Met With Warner Brothers To Pass 'The Batman' Torch To Jack O'Connell
It looks as though the new Batman may have been found in Jack O’Connell, the British actor that co-starred in the acclaimed Netflix miniseries ‘Godless’, for which he was nominated for Best Actor in a limited series by the Broadcast Television Journalists Association. He also had a major role in Jodie Foster’s ‘Money Monster’ opposite George Clooney and Julia Roberts and starred in the Angelina Jolie-directed ‘Unbroken’.
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