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12 Things Good Bosses Believe (Rule #1)

“I have a flawed and incomplete
understanding of what it feels like to work for me.”

This statement comes from Robert Sutton’s “12 Things Good Bosses Believe,” which is a pointed and humbling summary of lessons stemming from years of leadership research. Sutton is the author of the very successful books “The No A$$hole Rule” and “Good Boss, Bad Boss.”

His series of articles in The Harvard Business Review dives into each of 12 Beliefs and provides illuminating examples about how easy it is to become a bad boss, and what to strive for in becoming a good boss.

Do the lessons apply to military leadership?…you be the judge.

bosses

Soldiers stretch during sunrise before an early morning run at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, June 13, 2016. Army photo by Sgt. Brandon Hubbard.
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Putting Ego in its Place (pt. 2)

“Never let your ego get so close to your position,
so that when your position goes, your ego goes with it.”
– General Colin Powell

The other valuable lesson to find in General Powell’s statement is how ego should relate to future jobs and career goals we seek.

A few years ago I had the opportunity to compete for a highly-competitive position on a team that holds unmatched regard in the military. It was the kind of job that, if chosen, would give me instant credibility and esteem in my professional community.

As you might imagine, this opportunity draws the most motivated and talented Soldiers from across the military. Unfortunately for most, the opportunity is also highly and dispassionately selective. Incredibly capable Soldiers prepare for years, only to find out they don’t meet the narrow bandwidth of acceptable talent and are sent home.

Which is what happened to me. During the process, however, I saw peers become obsessed with being selected, making it the ultimate validation of their military career…the definitive stamp of individual self-worth and achievement. They clearly aligned their egos with the position…and many took an emotional hit when they weren’t accepted.

EgoPowell’s advice is clear wisdom for those seeking competitive career goals. It’s wise to remain stoic about the outcome, particularly if the goal is highly-selective. Becoming psychologically-tied to a career outcome can easily cause one to:

  1. Miss other opportunities during the process.
  2. Make poor decisions because of the emotional investment and fear of failure.
  3. Fail to see the positive aspects of the resulting situation.
  4. Set a poor example for peers and subordinates who are striving for their own goals.
  5. Place an emotional toll on peers and family who will provide support in any outcome.

Bottom Line

No organization, job title, or status can invalidate the commitment, talent, and influence one achieves during an entire career. Separate who you are from what you do and be selective about where you place your self-worth.

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Putting Ego in its Place (pt. 1)

“Never let your ego get so close to your position,
so that when your position goes, your ego goes with it.”
– General Colin Powell

It’s easy to assume a position of leadership or take the guidon of command, and think that we were made for the job…that the organization and its people need us there…or that we were ordained to lead.

The responsibility and the recognition of being a leader makes it easy to align our self-worth with our job. It can become who we are, our identity. Similarly, many of us display attitudes/emotions that fluctuate with how we think we are performing in our jobs (i.e., a bad day at work means a bad day at home).

EgoGeneral Colin Powell warns against letting the job overcome who we are, because one day the titles and responsibility will drift away, then what are we left with?

We should keep in mind a few key characteristics about leading in the military:
1. The unit you are leading is not yours…it’s the government’s.
2. The government didn’t create the job for you; it exists for the Nation’s people.
3. The unit and its members will continue to excel even after you leave.

So, it’s prudent to find a way to display passion for the work while appropriately divorcing emotional stability and self-worth. We can’t take the work’s esteem with us when we go. We can only focus on making a positive impact in the unit that outlasts our tenure.

More on ego in the next post.

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Achieving Influence

If you don’t see the ‘leader within you’ developing in the leaders around you, it may be time to assess whether you are achieving the influence you want in the organization.

influenceAre you being intentional about your influence? How often do you communicate lessons, values, and positive examples?

Military organizations (particularly staffs) are very efficient at turning leaders into ‘task executors.’ The tempo of operations can easily overwhelm intentional leader development and personal mentorship…and influence suffers.

As an Operations Officer, it was a struggle for me to connect with subordinate team members when I had two dozen tasks to review with them. I felt like I was simply running an organization instead of leading a team. So, we decided to allot dedicated weekly time to discuss professional topics, capture lessons, and share insights. And throughout the day, I tried to personally connect with the team member before we talked business.

Simple steps…but ones that deliberately created opportunities for influence.

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When Failure is Caused by Leadership

Today’s media recommendation is The EntreLeadership Podcast episode from Oct. 25, 2011. It’s linked below, check it out.

How often do commanders and staff leaders delegate a project with little to no guidance on parameters, endstate, or what success looks like? How often have new Soldiers/Officers arrived to the unit but not immediately been armed with the tools they’ll need for success?

Dave Ramsey explains that it is the LEADER’S job to equip the team for success, and it’s the LEADER’S fault if they fail.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/when-failure-is-caused-by/id435836905?i=102809445&mt=2

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Commander-Centric Leadership

“Why can’t we get anything done when the commander leaves!?!?”

Yesterday, we saw that leaders who empower subordinates and avoid micromanagement will likely see improved results and better work environments. But, pushing power down the chain is not such a simple concept in the military.

Army Regulation 600-20 plainly states:
“Commanders are responsible for everything their command does or fails to do.” There’s no misinterpretation: if it goes wrong, it’s the commander’s fault.

Take yesterday’s news about 9 Air Force commanders fired because subordinates cheated on skills tests. They were fired because their command decisions set a climate where officers felt pressured and were able to cheat on the tests.

Our military revolves around its commanders. They are the only leaders who can make decisions about the mission, structure, actions, and well-being of the command. This clear charter of responsibility, while a necessary aspect of our duty, can stall subordinate staff members who do not want to cross the commander’s decision authority.

“Commanders delegate sufficient authority to Soldiers in the chain of command to accomplish their assigned duties, and commanders may hold these Soldiers responsible for their actions.” AR 600-20 tells commanders to find a balance between delegation and control, but also charges them to develop and teach the unit’s members. This development not only shows the staff how they can support the commander’s decision making, but also prepares the staff members for their eventual commands in the future.

Questions for Leaders

  • Have you specified what decision authority your subordinate leaders can exercise?
  • Do you give left/right limits and let your subordinates make their own decisions in that band? Or do you require everyone to do it ‘your way?’
  • Have you asked your team for feedback about the command climate and the environment for decision making?

http://themanagersdiary.com/diary-entry-231-does-absence-make-the-staff-grow-stronger/

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10 Life Lessons and Leadership

Here are 10 Life Lessons we all should pay attention to.

http://markmanson.net/10-life-lessons-excel-30s

What does this have to do with Leadership?

I recommend reading the entire article, but consider these:

3. Don’t Spend Time with People Who Don’t Treat You Well

Who we spend our time with determines who we are. Surround yourself with people who will elevate your intellect, talent, and confidence. Shape your organization so that your team doesn’t have to spend their day with someone who treats them poorly (i.e. get rid of the jerks).

5. You can’t have everything; Focus On Doing a Few Things Really Well

Prioritize your energy and your time, and do the same for your team. They’ll appreciate it.

7. You Must Continue to Grow and Develop Yourself

Simply put, when the individual grows, the organization grows. If you lead others, then you also have the responsibility to become a better person. Not doing so is arguably unjust.

Incidentally, #2 is “Start Taking Care of Your Health Now, Not Later”…so, get out and do some PT.

(thanks to my wife for sharing this article)

http://markmanson.net/10-life-lessons-excel-30s

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Wisdom from Two Distant Professions

“The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example they will follow.” 
– General Colin Powell

“Who you are speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you are saying.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Post by The Military Leader.