Rick Lottie

Learned to teach as a Marine Corps platoon commander. It's a two-way street, and is a combination of knowing your stuff (you can't BS the troops), tough love, and setting the example. Teach the path of the hard right, not the easy wrong. Learned to lead at USNA (graduated in 1969), the Marine Corps, and at EDS, the great company founded by Ross Perot. Lessons learned: Negative leadership is bad, leading by example does wonders, and leading from the front is both physical and psychological. You must give people a reason to believe in and follow you. Respect, no matter the setting, is earned. Moral courage can be a lot tougher than physical courage. Learned the "doer" part all my life. Luckily, I had parents who believed deeds were more important than words. Results really do matter. Feelings are for TV shows. Facts tell the truth. They can be raw, hard and cold, but they speak with authority and authenticity. Doers make the world go 'round, and are the fuel for the great engines of productivity and free enterprise. They translate the wonders of creativity and inspiration into action and fulfillment. Teaching, leading, doing -- have held me in good stead. May I share their lessons with you? Sincerely yours, Rick Lottie -- Always a Marine