RWSmith ETC

08/31/2026

Book hits the "Top 100."

"They Don't Build Monuments to Managers: Leadership in the Workplace" ranked #38 in the Corporate Governance category and #89 in Knowledge Capital (Kindle) on Amazon this morning. Thanks to all who have bought the book.

If you haven't jumped in, consider this: Monuments aren't built to honor people who managed processes. They're built for people who changed lives.
My book — They Don't Build Monuments Honoring Managers — is now available on Amazon in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle. You can also order print editions through your favorite bookstore.

You don't have to be a manager to LEAD! This book covers nine traits anyone can learn and practice to become a better leader. The Kindle eBook is currently only $5.99.

If you lead people, this one's for you. Link in the comments.

08/28/2026

Today is the day!

They Don't Build Monuments Honoring Managers: Leadership in the Workplace is officially available.

This book began with a thought I had while standing at the base of Mount Rushmore in 2021: we build monuments to leaders, never to managers. The two are not the same. And that distinction, I believe, is one of the most important conversations we can have in the workplace today.

The book draws on four decades of observation, distilled into a single framework: the Nine Traits of Effective Leaders. Innovation. Values. People focus. Clear communication. Earned trust.
Followership. Integrity. Building the next generation of leaders. And finally, the COURAGE to execute the other eight traits.

This book is for the seasoned executive who wants to sharpen their edge. It is for the first-time supervisor who was promoted because they were good at their job and suddenly found themselves responsible for others. And it is especially for everyone in between who has ever wondered whether they were truly leading — or just managing.

It is the book I wish someone had handed me before my first promotion.

Available now on Amazon in:
-Hardcover
-Paperback
-Kindle E-Book
Link in the comments.
Also available for order through your favorite local bookstore.

Monuments aren't built for people who managed processes. They're built for people who changed lives. If this resonates with you, share it with someone who leads people. They'll thank you for it.

Please comment and share/forward with your friends and family. Reviews are appreciated and encouraged.

08/26/2026

So exciting! The unboxing of my first author's copies of “They Don’t Build Monuments Honoring Managers.” It will be available from Amazon or through your favorite bookstore this Friday, August 28. However, the Kindle edition is available now for preorder to be delivered to your device on Friday. The ebook is currently only $5.99, so order your copy today!

08/18/2026

Big news — my book is almost here!

"They Don't Build Monuments Honoring Managers: Leadership in the Workplace" releases on August 28th, and I couldn't be more excited to finally share it with you.

This one has been in the making for a long time. It started with a thought I had standing at Mount Rushmore back in 2021. I realized we build monuments to leaders, never to managers. What started as a series of blog posts grew into something I'm genuinely proud of. It's a book about what it takes to lead people well, built around nine traits I've observed in the best leaders I've encountered over four decades in business.

If you've ever been promoted and felt like no one handed you a manual — this book is for you. It's the book I wish I'd had before my first promotion.

Available August 28th on Amazon:
-Kindle E-Book — pre-order now for automatic delivery on release day. (Preorder link in the comments.)
-Paperback and Hardcover available August 28th.

Please like and share this post. And if you happen to buy and read it, nothing helps an independent author like reviews.

07/06/2026

I talk to CEOs, COOs, and CHROs all the time who tell me their teams are doing great.

Then I talk to the teams.

The story I hear from the people doing the actual work is almost never the same as the one I just heard from the top. Not because anyone is being dishonest, but because where you sit determines what you see.

In my latest post, I unpack two of the most common gaps I run into. First is the organization full of strong departmental teams that don't actually work well together. The second is the otherwise great team with that one person who just isn't a team player.

Both are more common than most leaders want to admit. Both are fixable. And the fix starts with leaders willing to ask the right questions of the right people.

Please read, share, and comment. I'd love to know which one you've seen more often in your organization.

I hear it all the time. I’m having a conversation about Teamwork with a CEO, a COO, or a CHRO, and I ask about their teams. Almost every time, I get a response along the lines of: “ We have a really great team. People work hard here. We have no need for teamwork training. In their mind, this is ...

06/22/2026

Ever sent an employee to a seminar, hoping they’d bring the lessons back to train the rest of the team? How often does that actually work?

Usually, real life takes over. Their inbox is overflowing, the "lunch and learn" gets pushed back, and you are left with nothing but a travel invoice.

In my latest blog post, I break down why onsite training is the smartest investment you can make for your workforce. Instead of sending one person away, bringing the training to your office completely flips the ROI equation.
Here is why onsite training consistently beats out solo conferences and video courses:

--It slashes hidden costs: No flights, no hotels, and no days lost to travel. You train the whole team at a fraction of the per-person cost.
--It creates a shared experience: For example, teamwork and customer service standards only stick when the whole group learns them together and gets on the same page.
--It offers real customization: Instead of generic advice for a room full of strangers, we can tackle your company's specific friction points in real-time.
--As opposed to video training, it demands active engagement: I can read the room, pivot when a point doesn't land, and pull in quiet participants—something a recorded video will never do.

Stop paying for isolated learning that doesn't scale. Read the full post below to see why developing your people works best when you do it together, all at once.

Why bring training to your whole team instead of sending one or two people away? RWSmith ETC explains how onsite, live training saves travel costs, builds real teamwork, creates customer service consistency, and delivers customized workshops built around your company—not a room full of strangers.

05/18/2026

🛑 STOP: Faulty wiring is NOT a do-it-yourself project.

Faulty wiring is a leading cause of home fires. Whether your home is decades old or brand new, wiring can become damaged by age or even small rodents. 🐭⚡️

Don't ignore these symptoms:
⚠️ Hot outlet covers
⚠️ Flickering or dimming lights
⚠️ The smell of burning plastic

If you notice these signs, call a licensed electrician to make the repairs. If danger is imminent, shut off your home's main breaker and exit the home immediately. 🏃💨

Your safety is our priority. Trust your gut—and your senses! 💡

05/18/2026

Time management and stress management are more connected than most people realize. When time is poorly managed, stress increases. As stress grows, focus weakens, productivity drops, and small problems become bigger ones. Over time, the cycle feeds itself.

The good news is that improving either skill helps strengthen the other. Better planning reduces pressure, and lower stress improves focus, decision-making, and efficiency. Organizations that invest in both time and stress management training create more productive, resilient, and sustainable teams.

Poor time management and stress management are closely connected. When time is poorly managed, stress increases. As stress grows, focus, productivity, and decision-making decline, creating even more pressure. Improving both skills together helps reduce burnout, increase efficiency, and create a more

05/04/2026

There's a moment every leader dreads... looking in the mirror and realizing you are the thing standing in the way of your team's success.

I've been there.

I have experienced being micromanaged to the point of paralysis... to being unobserved to the point of isolation. Neither extreme works. And somewhere in between, I had to learn a hard leadership lesson: letting go of control while still showing up. It's all about balance.

In my latest post, I explain why micromanagement usually comes from good instincts gone too far and what it actually takes to rebuild trust once you've recognized the pattern.

If you lead people, this one is worth three minutes of your time.

Why do we micromanage and how do we address it? Most of what I knew about leadership was learned through observation rather than specific leadership training. I had managers who controlled every moment, every step, and every action, and I had managers who never checked in, never observed, and never

04/27/2026

Why Ronald Reagan's Words, "Trust but verify," Apply to AI Today.

I can't yet trust AI... for anything.

My first novel (Operation Hoplon: The Joshua Booker Origin Story) has a long history. I started it around 2016, set it aside when life intervened, picked it back up in 2022, and finally finished and published it in 2024. By then, ChatGPT existed, but I had never touched it. Artificial intelligence, for all practical purposes, wasn't part of my world.

Now, deep into my second novel (about 90% finished), I've become more familiar with what AI can and can't do. I've even started using a product called Grammarly, though not for ideas or phrasing. I use it strictly for consistency in punctuation. High school taught me one set of comma rules, college introduced me to AP style, and now the Oxford comma reigns supreme. Three competing standards are two too many for me to keep straight, so I let Grammarly help with that.

That's where things got interesting and very troubling.

I noticed that Grammarly has added a new tool to check for plagiarism and AI-generated content. Out of curiosity, I ran my second novel through it. The verdict: 40% AI-written. That is terribly wrong, as it should have been 0%. So I ran my first novel through the same check, the one I finished before AI writing tools were even a realistic option. It came back 31% AI-written.

That result sent me down a rabbit hole. I tested both books across several AI-detection tools. The verdict on my first novel ranged from 13% to 77% AI-generated, depending on which tool I used. One declared it 100% plagiarized, apparently having "learned" the published text and assumed I had copied it rather than written it.

I wasn't alone in noticing this problem. While researching, I found a writer who ran the opening chapter of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein through multiple AI detectors. One tool declared it 100% AI-generated. For that to be true, artificial intelligence would have needed to exist before 1817, when Shelley completed the manuscript.

So here's the question I can't shake: if AI tools are this unreliable at detecting AI writing, why would I trust them for anything else? When I do use AI for research, I make a point of spot-checking results in areas I know well enough to verify. So far, that habit has proven wise.

Ronald Reagan's old line, "Trust, but verify," turns out to apply just as well to algorithms as it did to arms treaties.

AI is improving exponentially every year - even every month. I am sure that one day soon it will produce great, accurate results. But as of this moment, April 27, 2026, I simply don't have much confidence in getting information I can consistently trust.

Have you encountered your own examples of AI getting things embarrassingly wrong? I'd genuinely like to hear them.