Check out General Stanley McChrystal’s LinkedIn article about the abrupt end to his Soldiering career. He discusses his mindset in light of the events.
Falls closely in line with Powell’s statement: “Never let your ego get so close to your position, that when your position goes, your ego goes with it.”
Lieutenant Lessons…Continued
In his Modern War Institute article, Scott Ginther relayed 20 lessons from his path from West Point Cadet to Platoon Leader in Afghanistan. (Find it here.)
Much credit goes to then 1LT Ginther for clearly learning the right lessons as a young leader, and for taking the time to capture and share them with the force. I offer the following thoughts as an addendum to his insights, and intend them to show how the leadership environment changes in the transition from Lieutenant to Commander and Field Grade officer.
CAPTION
Quote
The size of a man can best be determined by the size of the things that make him mad.
– Dave Severn
Article: “Why Aren’t You Delegating?” (HBR)
You seem to work longer hours than everyone else…
You feel totally indispensable…
You feel like you’re the only one who is energized…
You feel like no one else can do as good a job as you could on a project…
You know where this is going…if these statements describe you, you might not be delegating like you should.
Take a look at HBR’s article “Why Aren’t You Delegating?”
If you’re a military staff officer, you already feel overtasked. That’s the nature of our business; the military has far-reaching influence and responsibility that translates into ceaseless action. If you’re a commander, you can protect your unit from unnecessary tasks…to an extent. But there’s never a shortage of due-outs.
Two reasons why military leaders don’t delegate very well:
- We Don’t Say “NO”
The military has a unique socio-professional quality that makes it difficult for leaders to say NO to anything that ultimately helps Soldiers. Good ideas flourish in the military, especially because most everyone cares about making a difference. But not all good ideas are worthy of your or the unit’s time. Leaders can help themselves by being draconian about priorities and by actively directing subordinate energy to line up with them. Practice this response: “That’s a great idea. Thanks for the showing the initiative to suggest it, but it doesn’t support the commander’s priorities right now and we’re not doing it.” (Adjust your phrasing if you’re telling your commander his idea isn’t in line with his priorities.) - We Don’t TEACH
It is common practice on staffs to assign staff tasks without verifying or teaching the skills to complete them. The leader usually informs the subordinate, “I don’t have time to walk you through how to do it” or “You should be able to figure it out.” Then, when the project comes in for revision, the leader becomes frustrated with its lack of quality and takes over. The process is unfair for the junior and horribly inefficient for the team. Smart leaders will spend time to push knowledge down the chain, which elevates the quality of all the projects, saves time, and grows junior members for their own careers.
Here are some skill areas you probably need to review with your staff:
- Professional writing and grammar
- Formatting guidelines for your organization (i.e. Operations Order format, presentation slide format)
- Email organization and etiquette
- Tips and shortcuts on the Microsoft Office suite
- Basic keyboard shortcuts (Copy, Paste, Undo, etc.)
- SharePoint procedures and shortcuts
- File sharing and collaboration techniques
12 Things Good Bosses Believe (Rule #5)
5. My job is to serve as a human shield, to protect my people from external intrusions, distractions, and idiocy of every stripe — and to avoid imposing my own idiocy on them as well.
What a relevant rule for military organizations. How many times has your unit or your team been assigned some inconsequential task that prevents you from accomplishing your priority tasks? The challenge of balancing external influences and mission-focused activity is nothing new and some would say impossible to perfect.
Nonetheless, good leaders believe they are a shield for their organization. They look for ways to safeguard their team from distraction and filter the mission-essential tasks from the administrivia. This frees the organization to focus and excel.
http://blogs.hbr.org/2010/05/12-things-that-good-bosses-bel/
Article: Manage Your Work, Manage Your Life (HBR)
Here is a very insightful article on balancing work and home life, and crucially relevant for we military leaders/commanders who typically feel a strong sense of duty to “stay engaged” at work.
Manage Your Work, Mange Your Life
Takeaways:
- Define success for yourself (“what does it mean to have a balanced family and still meet goals at work?)
- Manage technology (no brainer)
- Build support networks (have an outlet at work and home)
- Travel/Relocate selectively (involve family in decisions; make ‘time away’ a team decision)
Wisdom from Doctrine (ADP 6-22 – Army Leadership)
“Encouragement and inspiration characterize leadership whereas coercive techniques run counter to Army leadership principles. Subordinates respond well to leadership that encourages commitment to achieve shared goals, thus improving the leader’s ability to use indirect influence in situations where clear lines of authority do not exist. Leadership seeks to influence others through the communication of ideas and common causes. Positive, empowering influence comes by knowing how to lead, relate to others, and free other to manage tasks.”
– Army Doctrine Publication (ADP) 6-22 Army Leadership
Two points are worth noting about this paragraph from ADP 6-22 – Army Leadership.
- When was the last time you encouraged and inspired your team? The guidance clearly states that Army leaders are to develop their leadership styles based on “encouragement and inspiration” and that coercive influence is not acceptable. It’s very easy to focus on task accomplishment and forget the emotional component of performance. Truth is, that’s what most people respond to; we all like to find encouragement and inspiration. And it doesn’t have to be the soft and cuddly encouragement; your team likely won’t respond to that. Connect your team to the unit’s or the Army’s history; remind them of the higher purpose of serving; or highlight the long line of sacrifice that others have made. In accordance with ADP 6-22, find ways to create a positive environment…not one that is simply absent of negativity. There’s definitely a difference.
- The other interesting point within the text is that leaders who create trust through positive leadership and shared values create the impetus to accomplish the mission when “clear lines of authority do not exist.” Essentially, this builds an environment where team members excel even when they aren’t required to, which can be powerful for an organization.
Bottom Line
“Not being toxic” is not enough for Army leadership. Our Soldiers and officers deserve more. They deserve leaders who build their leadership personas on positivity and inspiration, knowing that such an environment will allow their teams to accomplish more.
Lessons from a ‘not-so-new’ Lieutenant
A great summary of lessons from a not-so-new Lieutenant. A must-read for good perspective. Highlights include:
5. Most of the time you’ll have no idea what you’re doing
6. Your parents probably did a better job prepping you for leadership than anyone
7. West Pointers are spoiled
http://www.warcouncil.org/