TOWARDS A MORE PERFECT UNION

by Dr. R.A. “Art” McNeil Phd

The following steps outside of my blog’s genre. To find solutions to what many are calling systemic racism, solution-seeking debate will be required…without the use of inflammatory labels and language that inhibits productive dialogue.

The founders focused a clear vision of a future where every citizen had an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The vision, although beyond the reach of their current reality, was an ideal worth moving towards. However, the constitution they authored afforded a timeless means of continuous improvement. It recognized the need to protect citizens from the tyrannical use of power and to keep their fledgling republic always moving towards a more perfect union. America has come a long way but because there will always be more to do, its constitution provides the means.

Restoring community Safety:

Trained and well funded Marxists have hijacked BLM. An organized gang is moving agitators across state lines with the express purpose of inflaming well-intentioned but misinformed young adults to use anarchy rather than the constitution and our political system to change America.

Billionaire George Soros a globalist recalcitrant, is suspected of being instrumental in the financial collapse of many countries (such as the once prosperous Argentina). He pumped billions of dollars to support the campaigns of Mayors and Attorneys general in major American cities…perhaps this is the cause of their unexplainable reluctance to use local police to quell out of control riots or to charge anarchists and looters.

Duped politicians, once they are owned by destabilizing special interests, become fearful of retribution from emboldened mobs. Hopefully, the FBI will (if they are not already) investigating what is becoming an all-out insurrection by following the money—just as they did to break up the mafia. Until that happens, we must fight fire with fire. The National Guard of violence-torn states should be used to restore order and protect innocents and businesses…if necessary, without the permission of local mayors and governors.

While community safety is being restored, national standards need to be developed for police recruitment and training (specifically on the acceptable use of force). Standards need to be enforced by the FBI not local authorities and suspected offenders prosecuted by federal not state law. To get unauthorized guns off the street, police need more authority to frisk. Illegal alien criminals should be deported immediately, and sanctuary city behavior eliminated. Local authorities and others who interfere with the duties of ICE should be prosecuted.

Although the aforementioned would reduce crime, more powerful initiatives will be required to move America forward.

Longer term solutions:

A national effort to promote the development of the nuclear family
Fathers must be encouraged to accept responsibility to support their children and become role models.
The teacher union’s ability to protect failing teachers and public schools must be eliminated and funds diverted from failing school boards and given to parents, perhaps by issuing financial chits that would allow them to send their children to schools of their choice (including charter or religious schools).
Education should be made available to young adults who have been left behind by a failing system. Community and business supported trades-training combined with remedial reading, math, and science leading to a high school GD plus journeyman status in specific tasks required by employers would give disadvantaged young adults an alternative to living off street crime.
Rather than incarcerating young offenders or placing them on parole, a compulsory military-type experience would provide a path towards GD status and becoming part of a team with productive rather than gang values.

An appropriate slogan “CHILDREN’s LIVES MATTER”.

Silence, an American Tragedy

The statue of Silence, a remarkable work of art sculpted in the 1870s by Robert Reid of the Montreal Marble Works, was recently desecrated in Savannah’s beautiful and historic Laurel Grove Cemetery.

It was a shameful act, done at night without courage or, thus far, consequence. It saddened me beyond words; it broke my heart. I know from history that the burning of books and the destruction of statues are a prelude to violence and nihilism. It marks the end of order.

by Barry Sheehy

This beautiful and historically unique statue played an important role in the writing of my books about Montreal, Montreal: City of Secrets, which documented the close ties between Montreal and the Confederacy during the Civil War and Savannah, Savannah: Immortal City and the second book Savannah: Brokers, Bankers and Bay Lane provided the most thorough analysis to date of the inner workings of Savannah’s Slave Trade. It was a work not universally welcomed. It ultimately resulted in my returning to Canada after living in Savannah for more then 20 years. But Savannah remains today my favorite place in the whole world.

I wrote my Savannah and Montreal books after taking a sabbatical, having lived through the attack on the World Trade Center in New York. “Silence” played a pivotal role in my Savannah and Montreal books. The picture of Silence holding her finger to her lips signalled not just quiet but also mystery — a secret waiting to be told. The minute I saw the statue I was captivated by its haunting beauty and mystery. I asked my wonderful research team about its origins. I was flabbergasted when they returned days later with the news the statue had been crafted in Montreal by noted artist Robert Reid. Savannah was my adopted home; Montreal was the city of my birth. The circle was closing.

In writing my history of Savannah during the Civil War — the greatest and bloodiest conflict in American history — I encountered this beautiful, redeeming statue in Laurel Grove — it changed the course of my writing and my thinking. In one gracious pose with her finger to her pursed lips she captured the valor, courage, carnage, and tragedy of this most terrible of struggles.

The Civil War cannot be willed away, burned away, or torn down — nor should it be. You cannot erase this transformative struggle which, next to the Revolution, made America. This bloody struggle of brother against brother must be embraced as a tragic but true part of American history. It happened. And its causes and effects are too important to be settled by the mindless tearing down of statues, Taliban style. Surely America is better than this.

Take the time to study the facts and learn the truth which is more complex and nuanced than can be articulated with the mindless vandalism of works of art — which by itself is a singular sin against society.

SILENCE

The Statue of “Silence,” an angel holding her finger to her lips calling for quiet as she watches over her Confederate dead at Laurel Grove, is poignant. If you take the time to study the boys buried here, you will see a true cross section of southern society. Most did not own slaves.

The Angel’s whisper signaled not just Silence but something yet to be discovered. The first mystery uncovered was that Silence was sculpted in Canada at the Montreal Marble Works by noted artist Robert Reid. Sourcing a major work of art from far away Montreal during the lean years of Reconstruction was akin to sourcing it from the far side of the moon. That alone was a story worth pursuing. Why Montreal? We discovered deep and unexpected links between Montreal and the Confederacy, including the beautiful city of Savannah.

This was an historic journey like no other, out of which emerged a story of sedition, intrigue, violence, and greed which touched on the Lincoln assassination and revealed breathtaking corruption. It also marked the birth of the deep state.

Do not tell me statues are not important. The statue of Silence shattered my calcified and simplistic American Civil War narrative of a battle between good and evil, as defined by slavery alone. This turned my world upside down — it was an epiphany.

The Germans have a phrase, Zeitgeist (the spirit of the age), to describe a society which loses touch with reality and goes, well, crazy. Think Germany in the 1930’s. Historians look back and ask why such stupid things were done? They ask “What were they thinking?” Consider the French Revolution and the Great Terror that followed. They went so far off the rails they sought to tear down every institution and convention in France. They even tried to overturn the Gregorian calendar and change the number of days in the week. As if they number of days in the week was the most important problem facing post-revolutionary France. Does this sound familiar?

Once the French revolutionaries exhausted aristocratic heads to cut off, they turned on their own and it wasn’t pretty. The killing and disenfranchisement machine, once stoked-up, must be fed. Ask the idealistic young students who returned to Iran from America to support the Islamic Revolution, they almost all ended up dead or imprisoned…mostly dead. Consider today the inordinate effort to determine how many pronouns and genders to put into the new woke lexicon…and subsequently into law. And watch how quickly those who favor 15 trans pronouns clash with those wanting 32, each ready to send their opponents to the guillotine. Tolerance and reasoned debate, once banished, are hard to shelter behind.

Revolutions always consume their own. The US revolution may be the one exception to this rule depending how you view the reckoning of the Civil War. Let’s hope saner voices prevail. Maybe, just maybe, the bulk of the American people have not taken leave of their senses altogether and will show it in November. And so there it rests, on the great and good common sense of the American people.

Barry Sheehy is the author of eight books including Savannah: Immortal City, Brokers Bankers and Bay Lane, and Montreal: City of Secrets. He resided for more than 20 years in Savannah Georgia.

How to keep fast-paced Organizations such as Medical practices effective, financially secure, and among the better places to work

By

Dr. R. A. “Art” McNeil

We have entered what futurist David Houle calls, in his book of the same name “The SHIFT-AGE”. He suggests that the next twenty years will be “a transformation regarded by future historians as one of the most significant periods in human history.” Implementing new technologies (such as telemedicine) is essential but will be difficult for many to embrace.

The leaders of many organizations (and almost all medical practices) are haunted by profit inhibiting ghosts—remnants of the industrial-age. Decisions and methods are unknowingly based on outdated assumptions, attitudes, and behavioral patterns.

My work as founder of Achieve an international organization-development company, involved helping fortune companies introduce major change initiatives. We differentiated ourselves by convincing clients that the successful introduction of new methods or technologies (such as the emerging need for medical practices to embrace telemedicine) requires a culture shift.

I define culture as “the collective habits used by a group of people to get things done”. Overcoming a personal habit is difficult–changing an organization’s collective habits by contrast is next to impossible without the assistance of a skilled internal or external process coach).

My job as CEO was to help senior executives let go of the status quo in order to grow. One client went so far as to brand me “The Corporate Exorcist”. I believe that the bottom line to successful technological change is:

“those wanting to build a successful business must make a 180 degree shift from a mindset of knowing to an attitude of not knowing—replacing their reliance on experience and knowledge with processes for finding out and taking action faster than the competition”.

In the shift-age knowledge can be a liability. Those who consider themselves “in the know” are typically slower to learn. Many experienced leaders complain that the new breed of professionals and support staff are difficult to manage, impatient, and disrespectful. More likely, their performance is being inhibited by outdated (aka industrial-age) attitudes and behavior patterns. For example, when elders use personal authority rather than process-discipline to get things done.

Millennials come with shift-age attitudes and work patterns and are conditioned to readily embrace new technologies and procedures. They are not predisposed to follow without questioning authority figures wedded to the status quo. They prefer to search for and apply proven innovations rather than rely on experts who may be out of touch.

The more senior staff members were either raised during the industrial-age or mentored by people who were. Everybody in organizations haunted by outdated industrial-age habits and attitudes are vulnerable. The mantra of shift-age adapted people might be, “In God we trust…everybody else bring current data”.

70 % of America’s businesses will change hands during the next decade. Those that are not shift-age adapted will be forced to close the doors and walk away–letting all the hard work go down the drain and everybody out of work.

The shift-age is transforming lives by radically changing the way business is done. Like ancestors who lived during the “age of extraction”—where people made their living by farming, fishing, logging, hunting, and trapping, many people have yet to let go of industrial-age habits. They see things through a perceptual screen that no longer exists. To them, learning to use new technology is not worth their time—the “high tech” world appears to have gone mad.

What CEO’s are saying

When attempting to heal our nation: “above all, do no harm” the hippocratic oath

by Art McNeil

If our nation is to heal, much needs to be done personally and politically. In doing so let’s not unintentionally empower those who do not understand or honor the wisdom inherent in our constitution. Its tenet “that all men are created equal” and “guaranteed a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness must be our cornerstone if we are to make this promises a reality.

As a naturalized citizen, I studied the constitution, read the federalist papers, had to pass a written exam and a verbal inquiry before being allowed to upgrade from resident alien to become a naturalized citizen. The constitution’s promise is was what attracted me to America. In my opinion, divine intervention was present during its inception. I took an oath to hold myself accountable and live within its well-declared boundaries. Elected officials take a similar oath but also commit to using the delegated power of their position to enforce and defend the constitution from enemies foreign and domestic. (not all elected officials are currently honoring this sworn oath)

The founders understood the need for what they referred to as “natural law”. They drew wisdom from sources such as British common law, Hebrew tradition, and the ancient writings of Cicero. The constitution is designed to protect us from the inclinations (aka sins) of mankind and the tyranny of a majority. They accomplished this by instituting checks and balances between equal and independent branches of government:

Judicial
Legislative
- House of Representatives
- Senate
Supreme Court

Our founders were not in favor of historically divisive entitlements such as royalty, political parties or career politicians. Their expectation of a public service was to serve the needs of their employer (the voting public) not to empower themselves with opportunities to inordinately prosper because of position. They did not foresee congress accommodating their own aspirations.

I find it disheartening that many citizens (including the well-educated) know little or nothing about how America is constitutionally designed to serve Americans in perpetuity…regardless of race, age, gender, sexual orientation, or social standing. Two examples of common misunderstandings are:

Our second amendment is fronted by the declaration that CONGRESS SHALL NOT ENACT LEGISLATION THAT PREVENTS (for example) “the right to bear arms” yet many politicians attempt to do so.
A process to initiate constitutional change exists within the constitution. A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION can be formed if 75% of the states agree on adding to or extracting an amendment. This process does not require approval from the executive branch, congress, or the Supreme Court. The constitution is designed to accommodate change. Change is not permitted through executive order, legislative voting, or judicial ruling. This design is to protect us against reacting to unbridled passion

Many of America’s chronic problems have existed over several decades because the constitution has not always been honored by elected officials, public servants, the courts, or the press. That error of omission allows subversive groups from inside and outside our political system to hijack rights and freedoms. Usurpers of the constitution often lie and scheme to take advantage of uninformed, malleable voters.

My fanciful vision of a preferred future includes:

Media must identify “sources” or be held liable when information is proven false
Statements made by the press or by representatives in congress held to liability laws governing citizens
Political campaigning restricted to 90 days
No publication of polls 30 days prior to an election
All candidates assured the same amount of media coverage during campaigns
Government provides equal funding to all candidates No other contributions allowed
Social media not permitted to edit content and held liable should they do so
Police complaints & violence against police investigated by FBI—findings to local officials
Congress (like the president) restricted to serving two terms
Congress inside or outside of chambers, subjected to the same liability law that apply to citizens

As that great American philosopher, Jiminy Cricket once said:

“WHEN YOUR HEART IS IN YOUR DREAM, NO REQUEST

IS TOO EXTREME “

Aligning Rhetoric & action: the essance of inspirational leadership

Aligning the Rhetoric and action of Leaders Enhances Pack commitment

Are you worn down by (and perhaps preoccupied with) chatter about the brutality of rogue cops, mandated economic shut shutdowns, a media that promotes visceral fear 24/7, unbridled rage, and lawlessness that for too long has gone unchallenged? That mindset is understandable but if it doesn’t result in taking personal action it does nothing but fan the flame of anxiety and dysfunction for everybody. Mindless negative talk promotes a sense of helplessness and is avoided by the leaders of effective families, communities, cities, states, and countries.

by Art McNeil

Fretting over things that are beyond your control is not only unproductive, it’s unhealthy. The following offers the possibility of swinging into action and “walking the talk” of an inspirational leader that will earn respect by helping others move beyond feeling like helpless victims.

A rapidly changing world is changing management behavior–replacing the use of personal with process discipline that fosters collaborative teamwork. The old adage remains true—effective leaders set the pace by aligning people to DELIVER on a contagious brand promise.

Create a compelling brand promise that will inspire people outside and inside the organization
Set cultural alignment as a priority higher or equal to strategy
Move values and ethics beyond feel good slogans to behavioral boundaries that are enforced
Regularly top grade the management team because effectiveness is regulated by the senior-team’s performance
Allocate recurring time to work on (not just in) the business
Standardize supervisory protocols to be used by everyone with direct reports. Learn the essential skills of inspiring direct reports by effectively recognizing performance and consistently holding out of compliance performers accountable
Delegate so that urgent never trumps important

LEADERSHIP STRATEGY: EMPLOYEES MUST BE TAUGHT THE BENEFITS OF CAPITALISM

leadership strategy: educating the workforce about the benefits of capitalism

its benefits are not appreciated by an ill-informed workforce

Management is failing to educate workers on the workings and benefits of capitalism. For many, their only source of information regarding what makes the business world go around comes from organized labor and an educational system that has had limited exposure to business. (more…)

2 STEPS TO INCREASE PROFIT WHILE DEVELOPING FUTURE VALUE

POGO "I have seen the enemy and he is us"

What’s your end game? Business owners seldom have an answer to that question—they usually lament about being too busy to even consider possibilities. It’s an undeniable fact that your game will end. Will you sell the business…turn it over to the next generation…or perform a daily grind until you die—leaving your family and the government to sort things out? (more…)

HOW TO SHAPE A WINNING CULTURE

inspirational leadership is everybody's business

If you’ve ever stood under a high-voltage transmission line, you know the sound of energy flowing. There’s a similar hum from high performance organizations. It’s evident the moment you step through the door because every employee is turned on—they agree with what their organization stands for and are excited about being part of it. (more…)

SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS GROW BY LETTING GO

CEOS MUST GROW ALONG WITH THEIR COMPANIES

It takes imagination, courage, tenacity, and a strong work ethic to conceive and launch a new business. Too often the business grows but the founder doesn’t. Starting and maintaining attributes are diametrically opposed. Successful entrepreneurs grow by letting go. (more…)

Leadership Strategy Insider

Leadership Is Everybody's Business