R Lynch Enterprises

The Book

"Adapt or Die, Leadership Principles of an American General" condenses 35 years in the Army and 4 years at West Point into 9 leadership principles. With a focus on Faith and Family you will learn how to lead under difficult, changing circumstances.

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The Speaker

Rick enjoys spreading his leadership principles to corporate, military, college or religious audiences. Click here to see clips of speeches that Rick has done and how you can get Rick speak to your organization.

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The Man

Retired Army Lieutenant General Rick Lynch is a husband, father, grandfather, and a leader to more than 120k employees. Read more about Rick's journey from a small town in Ohio to becoming a thought leader on leadership.

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Most Recent BLOG Posting

Take Time to Relax

On a recent vacation to Ireland,  Sarah and I were part of a 7 day programmed tour.  The tour operator had decided to make day 4 a “free day” to allow the folks on the tour to do whatever they wanted on that particular day.   Many folks scheduled something else to do.  They participated in additional trips and tours.  Sarah and I opted to do nothing but “relax”.  Sarah got a massage.  I went for a swim and a workout.   We had a nice lunch together, then I found myself with a book in one hand, a cigar in the other, and a glass of fine whiskey by my side.   We are sure glad we did.  The “relax” day at the mid point of the tour was exactly what we needed.  We were rested for the remainder of the tour, and we didn’t come back from vacation in need of a
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Roots of Your Raising Run Deep

During our recent trip to Ireland, Sarah and I both worked to find out more about our ancestors.  With names like Lynch and Cockerham (Sarah’s maiden name) we were sure there had to be some connection back to Ireland.  We were not disappointed.   I believe it is important to do that kind of research.  We are all a product of times past.  Each person in our ancestral line had some impact on our lives today.  Merle Haggard’s song said it best with the line “The roots of your raising run deep”.   Why are you the way you are?  Why do you have such fair skin?  Why are your eyes that color?  Why do you have the temperament you do?  The answer lies is some connection to the past.   In today’s internet environment, it is relatively easy to search out your roots.  With a minimal investment in time, there will be a
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The True Meaning of Independence Day

As we pause to celebrate Independence Day this month, let’s ensure we focus on the right things.  Over time, 4th of July celebrations have become all about BBQ and festivities, without really thinking about what it means to be free.   Freedom isn’t free, and someone is always paying the price.  Let’s remember that this Independence Day.   Sarah and I have had the experience of being with folks who weren’t always free.  We were there in the Fulda Gap in Germany when the Warsaw Pact crumbled in 1989 and the East Germans experienced freedom for the first time.  I was there in Kuwait during Desert Shield and Desert Storm when we liberated the Kuwait’s from the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein, and then in Iraq when we attempting to provide the Iraq people the opportunity to be free.   In each and every case, they cherished freedom because they knew what it was
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The Danger of Stereotypes

I don’t understand why we as a Nation tend to stereotype groups based on the actions of individuals. A perfect example is what is going on now with our approach to law enforcement personnel. If some police officer does the wrong thing, we immediately assume that all police officers are suspect. That is just plain wrong. In every group in our society there are some “bad apples”. Some folks will inevitably do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons. The law enforcement community is not immune to that (nor are politicians, athletes, educators, military, etc). People do stupid stuff. What we shouldn’t do is label an entire group based on the actions of one individual. If an individual does something bad, focus on him. Take appropriate actions against him. Do not paint the entire group with the same paint brush that you paint that one individual. Let’s stop labeling people. Stereotypes not
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The Source of Strength and Courage

We all need help.  We need strength, courage to do the things that need to be done on a daily basis.  There are many sources for that strength and courage.  I get mine from my relationship with God.  In Joshua 1:9 it is written Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go   Knowing that God is with us wherever we go is an amazing  source of strength.  Many times throughout my military career I was tasked to perform something that was very dangerous, but I could do it without fear knowing that God would be with me.   During Desert Shield and Desert Storm, I was the Executive Officer of a Cavalry Regiment.  We were stationed in Doha, Kuwait and were the last American presence in Kuwait.  Everyone else had returned
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How to be Successful

I recently was the guest speaker at a high school graduation.  In the 15 mins I had allocated, I wanted to give the graduates some insights as to how they could be successful in life.  I left them with three ideas:   Live a life that God will reward. Be nice to folks.  Follow the golden rule.  Always demonstrate honesty and integrity in everything you do. Do every job superbly. Always exceed expectations.  Be the very best in everything you do.  Grow everyday.  Read, study, learn.  Seek out opportunities to better yourself. Be visible and widely known. Ensure your hard work is evident to those around you.  Don’t brag, just let people know what you are doing.  Be connected in life.  Do not withdraw into a social media vacuum.  Talk to people.  Enjoy each other’s company.   Obviously there is more to being successful than just these three things, but I didn’t want to overwhelm
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Celebrate Diversity

  I continue to find myself worried about the future of our Nation.  The current situation in Ferguson, Missouri and other parts of our country is of great concern. Unfortunately, there are elements in our society who want to emphasize divisiveness over diversity.  They want to drive a wedge between us.  I saw this in Iraq during my service there.  Folks there committed specific acts of terror to inflame tension between the Iraqi Shias and Sunnis.   We can’t allow that to happen here the United States of America   I argue continuously that families, communities and organizations should celebrate diversity.  They must move beyond simple tolerance and truly embrace and celebrate diversity.  If they do that, everyone will flourish.  All indicators of success will dramatically improve.   We will be exponentially more effective.  The US Military is a case in point.   In 1948  President Truman issued an executive order that it was his policy
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Gary Sinise Foundation Gives Back

Sarah and I were with Gary Sinise last week as we presented a mortgage free home to GySgt (R) Guillermo Tejada (double amputee) as part of Gary Sinise Foundation / HEB activities.  Such an inspiration to be around such a selfless servant as Gary, and a true American hero as
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Service to Others

  My favorite book is entitled A Life God Rewards, by Bruce Wilkinson.   In the book the author contends that God really doesn’t care about how many stars you wear (in my case), or how much money you make….He cares about the number of people you touch. I am convinced we would have a better Nation if everyone made it a point to serve others.  Today, less that 1% of the American public serve our Nation in uniform, but we all enjoy the freedoms provided by those select few.  That’s service. Of note, you don’t have to be in the US Military to serve others.  There are many professions (medical, education, law enforcement, clergy, etc) in which folks make a remarkable contribution to society, and they should also be commended.  That’s service as well. I tell folks in my public presentations that the most important piece of furniture in their homes is their
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The Cycle of Life

I am currently sitting on a beach in Port Aransas, TX with my wife Sarah, our son Lucas, his wife Erica, and our grandson JW (now 2 ½ years old).   Almost 30 years ago Sarah and I brought our son Lucas down to this very same beach.  Yesterday as I watched Lucas expose his son JW to the wonders of the ocean, I flashed back to when I did the same thing to him 3 decades prior.   What he did with his son is what I did with mine.  He held his hand very tightly as together they walked towards the ocean.  You could tell that JW was unsure about what he was looking at.  It was a lot larger than his bathtub or his Grandpa’s swimming pool.  As JW’s feet first felt the ocean water, his eyes lit up with wonder.  He reached down and grabbed a handful of sand
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