Posted on Thursday, May 22, 2014

“Start by Making Your Bed” – Speech by ADM McRaven to the University of Texas

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.

Excerpts:

“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

Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2014

10 Easy Ways to Develop Your Leaders

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.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Arrio Granum, center, a platoon leader assigned to Bravo Troop, 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, briefs his Soldiers prior to a presence patrol around Forward Operating Base Fenty in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2013. The morning patrol was to check the security of the base’s perimeter and to engage area residents. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Margaret Taylor.

Posted on Saturday, May 17, 2014

Video: TED Talk – The Impact of Leadership

“As long as we make leadership bigger than us, as long as we keep leadership beyond us, as long as we make it about changing the world…we give ourselves an excuse not to expect it everyday from ourselves and from each other.”
Drew Dudley

“Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate…our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light and not our darkness, that frightens us.”
Mary Ann Williamson

In the majority of the time that military units aren’t specifically training to win wars, we spend our time trying to make the unit and its people better. We do this through organizational policies and decisions…and we do it by personally influencing people.

This short TED video reminds us that our influence and our impact on others is deeper than we realize…or give ourselves credit for. All leadership boils down to making people better, and the nature of our profession gives military leaders significant power to do that.

Posted on Wednesday, May 14, 2014

War on the Rocks Interview with GEN Martin Dempsey

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.

Posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Where’s Your Latitude? (ADP 6-22)

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:

the premium we place on the leader’s “experience”
the severe consequences of underperformance or failure
the complexity of the missions
the fast pace of operations

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:

Acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers
Ask for different perspectives in defining the problem and generating solutions
Realize that your perspective is different from your team’s (you’re probably giving more guidance than you think)
Adopt the “left and right limits” approach to giving guidance (typically associated with Mission Command)
Be patient when subordinates complete a mission in a way that’s not what you would have chosen; as long as it’s not illegal, immoral, unethical, and meets your intent…let it ride.

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Posted on Sunday, May 11, 2014

What would YOU ask a deployed Brigade Commander?

Leader interviews are on the way!

Next week, I’ll interview a forward-deployed Brigade Commander about his leadership experience and lessons.

What would you like to hear in the interview?

Post question recommendations and topic suggestions in the comment box or in an email to: admin@themilitaryleader.com.

Thanks for getting involved!

Posted on Tuesday, May 6, 2014

12 Things Good Bosses Believe (Rule #6)

“I strive to be confident enough to convince people that I am in charge, but humble enough to realize that I am often going to be wrong.”

Rule #6 of Robert Sutton’s “12 Things Good Bosses Believe” is one that should resonate with military leaders. Typically, we do not have difficulty convincing people that we are in charge; the long history of service and discipline inherently gives authority to leaders/commanders.

Still, exerting authority at the right time/place does not come naturally for some, so it may be necessary to look for opportunities to lead with intention and assertiveness. But let’s be honest, most military leaders need to pay attention to second half of Sutton’s statement.

Being in charge doesn’t mean you’ll always be right. In fact, being a leader almost guarantees that your decisions will be wrong in at least some people’s eyes.