Today, let’s consider some input from General Colin Powell, as well as the classic list of Armed Forces Leadership Principles that most of us grew up with. There are clear overlaps, like “Set an example” and “Know your people and look out for their welfare.” But, how can we update and refine those principles to give leaders a more accurate picture what is necessary in today’s military? I welcome your thoughts and suggestions!
“Hi, my name is Casey and I’m an AfPaK Hand.” A hand raises in the back of the room, “what’s an AfPak Hand?” I’ve heard this question many times in the last two years. Honestly, before I volunteered for the program, I didn’t know what it was either. Despite the talk that it’s a dead-end or career-ending program, I see it differently. Based on my personal experiences, I feel that the AfPak Hand program is giving me the necessary tools to address the security challenges the military will face in the coming decade.
No strong man is without weakness (and no weak man is without strengths!); but a man of high character can be depended upon at all times.
If a follower can say of his leader, “I can depend on him, not necessarily always to be right, but to do his best and what he considers to be right. I know his word is good. I can depend upon him to be honorable in his dealings with me. I can depend on his moderation, his temperance, his fairness, his judgment. I trust him. I admire him,” that is the type of leader men have confidence in and whom men will die for.
Decisions are not easy in time of war, and the follower must believe in a decision that means life and death.
I don’t know about you, but I have noticed that the best leaders are always moving forward. They don’t stagnate, are curious about themselves and their environment, and continually break new ground. They advance their talents intellectually, physically, emotionally, professionally, and so on.
When you think about it, curiosity is required before one can improve at all…it is a prerequisite for growth.
The Harvard Business Review article “Curiosity Is as Important as Intelligence” highlights the idea of a Curiosity Quotient, much like the commonly known psychological capabilities of Intellectual Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ). The Curiosity Quotient (CQ) is one’s affinity to be “inquisitive and open to new experiences” and, similar to IQ and EQ, improves one’s ability to navigate complex environments.
Soldiers at Camp Robinson, Arkansas, trying to get books from the Service Club Library. Miss Maurine Doores is the librarian. January 22, 1942. Signal Corps Photo #162-42-79 by Weber, 162nd Signal Photographic Company.
This short article on LinkedIn, by the coauthor of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, provides a list of 9 Things Successful People Won’t Do that challenges leaders to examine their professional practices and interactions.
Dr. Travis Bradberry elaborates on this universal set of behaviors to avoid, recommending them as a way to improve the emotional aspect of one’s leadership. “The trick is that managing your emotions is as much about what you won’t do as it is about what you will do.”
Here are a couple highlights, but the author expands on each one:
“I must study politics and war, that my sons may have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy…in order to give their children the right to study painting, poetry, and music.”
John Adams
“I offer neither pay, nor quarters, nor food; I offer only hunger, thirst, forced marches, battles, and death. Let him who loves his country with his heart, and not merely with his lips, follow me.”
Giuseppe Garibaldi
This is the first in a series of articles that seek to answer the question, “How does organizational leadership differ between my experience on active duty in the U.S. Air Force and my new career(s) as an airline pilot and citizen airman in the Air National Guard?” I will answer the question by focusing on three areas: 1) the concepts of service and excellence, 2) the leadership environment, and 3) leader development.
My comments will be relevant both for those considering transitioning from active duty, as well as leaders/mentors of subordinates who face that decision. My opinions are my own and do not represent the official positions of my Air National Guard unit or civilian employer.
I have intentionally structured this blog to focus on leadership principles and to prevent it from becoming an opinion board for political hot button issues. I think the media already has enough stone-throwers and I have no desire to join the fray.
Nonetheless, there are apolitical lessons we should draw from the events of our time, and the recent sad events in Ferguson, Missouri provide a few. (See “Tragedy and Readiness – Fort Hood’s Lesson” for more lessons from current events.)
What you won’t read here is my judgment of who is right or wrong in the death of Michael Brown. Why?…because I am neither the investigator nor the judge, which brings me to the first lesson.
People stand in prayer after marching about a mile to the police station to protest the shooting of Michael Brown, Aug. 20, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo. Photo by: Charlie Riedel, AP Photo