Jim Sinegal, COSTCO CEO
It’s improper for one person to take credit when it takes so many people to build a successful organization.
11 Keyboard Shortcuts You Must Learn
There are few obvious skills that military leaders need to be experts at…digital efficiency is usually not cited as one of them. But where do we spend the vast majority of our time? Behind the computer. Why not focus some effort on learning ways to be more efficient where we spend most of our time?
Staff Sgt. Shantae Allen and 2nd Lt. Jessica Barbee configure a laptop computer in their simulated regional contracting center. Allen serves in the 620th Contingency Contracting Team, 902nd Contingency Contracting Battalion, Rock Island Arsenal, Ill. Barbee is assigned to the 90th Contracting Squadron, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wy. Photo by: Ed Worley
Here are a few keyboard shortcuts that you should already be using:
- CTRL + C = Copy the selected item/text
- CTRL + X = Cut the selected item/text
- CTRL + V = Paste the copied/cut item
- CTRL + A = Select all the items/text on a page
And here are 11 powerful shortcuts that could make you lethal behind the keyboard:
4 Running Form Changes to Increase Speed and Efficiency
We do a lot of running in the military. But for as many miles as we log, we don’t do much training on how to improve running form to get faster or prevent injury. The common thought is that running form is individual and unchangeable, and some people are just faster than others.
The civilian running community, however, has mountains of research-based advice showing that a few simple running form changes will:
- Improve your efficiency
- Increase your speed
- Extend your endurance
- Reduce injuries
Here is what I’ve found that works.
Military units run in formation at the start of the fourth Run for the Fallen festivities May 3 at Williams Stadium, Fort Lee, VA. RFTF aims to honor the sacrifices of those lost in uniform and provides reassurance to family members they will never be forgotten.
Photo by: US Army Images
Photo by: US Army Images
Stop Creating Confusion and Start Providing Answers
There’s nothing more frustrating for a subordinate headquarters than to receive an order that lacks context on the situation or fails to provide the resources needed for execution. It seems that some people advance in their careers and forget what it’s like to serve at the lower levels. One example provides a good lesson on how higher leaders and staffs can enable their organizations instead of causing confusion.
CAMP HIGASHI-CHITOSE, Japan (Dec. 3, 2009)- An aerial view of the combined operations/intelligence center, manned by the Northern Army of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Contingency Command Post of United States Army, Pacific and I Corps Forward during the early stages of Exercise Yama Sakura 57. Photo Credit: U.S. Army Sgt. Gerardo DeAvila, 124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
Avoid Becoming an Intellectual Roadblock to Your Team
These two articles from Harvard Business Review look at different areas of the same critical topic: the powerful, sometimes unintentional ways that leaders influence the intellectual capability of their organizations.
Maj. Kirby Robinson, chief planner, 1st ABCT, briefs a movement plan to convoy drivers prior to a key leader’s engagement April 24 at the tactical movement area at NTC, Fort Irwin, Calif. Photo by: US Army Images
What Becoming a Parent Taught Me About Leadership (pt. 2)
In yesterday’s post, I revealed a few of the ways in which I thought becoming a parent would change me. I anticipated the obvious, like that a new baby would transform my daily routine and thrust me out of my comfort zone, and that I would instantly become a persistent example of right and wrong to this little being. I predicted that having a child would also influence how I interact with Soldiers and perform as a leader. Turns out, I was only scratching the surface of lessons that parenthood can teach a leader.
The 1177th MCT redeploys after nine months in Afghanistan. Photo by: US Army Public Images
What Becoming a Parent Taught Me About Leadership (pt. 1)
Almost 3 years ago, I captured some thoughts about how I thought becoming a parent would change me. Of course I knew it would be a “crucible”…a test or trial that causes defining and lasting change…but how would it alter who I was as a military leader? Would I view my role differently? Would I react to deployment orders with less stoicism when I have little ones to leave behind? Would I treat Soldiers differently?
10th Sustainment Soldiers redeploy to Fort Drum. Photo by: US Army Images
I was sure to get these answers (and plenty more) with the birth of our two daughters. Below are excerpts from what I predicted I’d learn as a new father. In the next post, I’ll elaborate on the myriad of other ways in which having children has changed me as a leader.
7 “Weak” Traits Military Leaders Should Cultivate
This article from the Huffington Post discusses seven traits that history and society has typically labeled as weak but that followers genuinely appreciate in a leader. Consider a few connections to military leadership:
- Empathy. Yes, having empathy is powerful when trying to connect with your team or a partner, but consider that empathy can also help you understand the enemy. What motivates him? What are his concerns? What are his vulnerabilities? “If you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles.” – Sun Tzu
- Optimism. The military doesn’t rely on hope, but optimism isn’t about being hopeful. It’s about having “confidence in a successful outcome.” Who wants to follow a leader who doesn’t have a positive expectation about the mission, the team, or even his own leadership abilities?
- Altruism. Phrased a different way, this trait is the #2 priority in the military – “Mission first, people always.” The volunteer military has clearly recognized that ensuring the welfare of its members has a direct, explicit link to mission performance. Leaders who do not take care of their people do not survive in the military.
- Discernment. This is a crucial, if not decisive trait for military leaders. Discernment, the ability to accurately assess and judge a situation, forms the basis of our decision-making methodology (“See First, Understand First”; “Understand, Visualize, Describe”; Situational Awareness, Situational Understanding; Design). We must be able to assess conditions based on relevant factors and be able to discard extraneous information. This trait applies both in combat and in the day to day leadership process.
Read the rest of the article here.
Questions for Leaders:
- What approach have you taken to assess the effectiveness of your own leadership traits?
- What traits do you encourage in your subordinate leaders? Do they know what they are?
- What other traits are important but rarely get talked about?