Watch Sebastian Junger, author and creator of the documentary Restrepo, describe the physical and emotional effects of combat.
I think a curse should rest on me — because I love this war. I know it’s smashing and shattering the lives of thousands every moment — and yet — I can’t help it — I enjoy every second of it.
WINSTON CHURCHILL, letter to a friend, 1916
It’s tough to deny… Email is our closest companion and our most prolific mode of communication. Despite the personal nature of military leadership and the requirement to build close-knit teams, I can’t think of a single thing we do that isn’t planned, assigned, or communicated on email.
And if you’re like me, this list sounds familiar:
After living with the military Inbox for 16 years now, I’m convinced that few of us manage it well and could use some techniques on being more efficient. If you agree, you need to check out leadership and productivity expert Michael Hyatt’s post, “Yes, You Can Stay on Top of Email.”
Bottom Line: we don’t need more time to process email…we just need to be disciplined and efficient in managing it.
Feel free to leave a comment below.
I aim to fight as if I am right, and listen as if I am wrong —
and to teach my people to do the same thing.
#7 of Robert Sutton’s 12 Things Good Bosses Believe should be a no-brainer. Military leaders generally don’t have a problem fighting as if they’re right, but what does “listen as if I am wrong” mean for leaders who are driven, experienced, and trained to perform with total confidence? Let’s start by looking at the antithesis.
As the commander of US Special Operations Command, Admiral William McRaven has led some of the most complex and decisive missions ever conducted by the US Military, but in this speech to the University of Texas graduating class of 2014, he relays the simple lessons that leaders should never forget.
“If you can’t do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.”
“If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.”
“If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.”
“You will fail. You will likely fail often. It will be painful. It will be discouraging. At times it will test you to your very core.”
“If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.”
Published on The University of Texas’ Official Publication, The Alalde, by Tim Taliaferro.
HTTP://ALCALDE.TEXASEXES.ORG/2014/05/MCRAVEN-TO-GRADS-TO-CHANGE-THE-WORLD-START-BY-MAKING-YOUR-BED/
Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself and let your troops see that you don’t in your endurance of fatigue and privation. Always be tactful and well-mannered. Avoid excessive sharpness or harshness of voice, which usually indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to hide.
German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
You’re overthinking it! Leader development doesn’t have to be the big “thing” it sounds like when you say it.
When I became a platoon leader, I struggled with what type of development program to implement. Should I create a formal development plan with events and steps?…or should I simply model effective leadership and hope the Soldiers learn by example? I engaged a mentor on the topic, who gave me priceless advice that I remember to this day. She said, “Just look for teachable moments.”
Too often, leaders adopt the belief that leader development has to be a lengthy program that takes hours or weeks to develop. The “unit leader development program” sounds like a monstrous effort that integrates technical training, tactical education, lofty discussions, resource products, and lots of time. Most of us shudder when we think about having to create one.
Here’s the unfortunate result…our flawed perception of leader development consequently prevents us from doing ANYTHING.
Hear the Chairman describe how the US will keep the force highly-trained and ready despite the constrained fiscal environment:
The sacred responsibility is to ensure that we never send a man or woman into combat unless they are prepared – best-trained, best-led, best-equipped and prepared to overmatch any adversary decisively, you know. And those words are carefully chosen. You know, we don’t want to just win. You know, we want to win 50 to 1, not 5 to 4 because we should be able to do that, you know; the nation has given us the resources necessary to do that.
Toward the end of the article, he also explains that the phased, structured approach to operations planning may be mistaken:
Once you introduce yourself into an experiment, you change the outcome. And I think that’s true. And that’s somewhat how I’ve watched the use of the military instrument evolve over time, where, in particular in Iraq and Afghanistan, I think we’d have to admit that although we had what we thought was a definable end state and a series of objectives, that when we touched it, it changed it. And when it changed it, we then had to adjust the end state because some of it became literally infeasible and others opened up opportunities.
I think we’ve got to develop strategic thinkers who, although they understand how to – how to identify an end state, back plan, phase – you know, put in these extraordinarily exquisite phases – that’s all important work, but it’s not actually the way it plays out. The way it plays out is once you touch it, it changes and then you’ve got to be adaptable.
Effective organizations rely on leaders to balance uncertainty, remain flexible, and provide a climate where subordinates have the latitude to explore options.
– ADP 6-22 Army Leadership, pg. 2
It’s happened to all of us. We receive a mission or task and launch into generating creative ways to execute it…only to be told which course of action to take and methods to use. This is a let-down for people who like tackling challenges on their own. Further, this directed approach prevents the subordinates from contributing alternate (and perhaps better) solutions.
Several factors about the military culture make it easy for leaders to reduce subordinate latitude:
Nonetheless, doctrine asserts that the good units are the ones that foster critical thinking and creativity in solving problems. In fact, consider the opposite point…units will be ineffective if they do not give subordinates latitude in executing their missions.
Consider a few ways to ensure you’re giving your team the freedom to explore options: