Become the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily; even if you had no title or position. —Brian Tracy
So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work. —Peter Drucker
No man is good enough to govern another man without that other’s consent. —Abraham Lincoln
A competent leader can get efficient service from poor troops, while on the contrary an incapable leader can demoralize the best of troops. —John J Pershing
I realize my last blog revolved around values we can learn from the military, but this past weekend, I received a package that has inspired a part two to the might of the military.
When I worked at Fort Knox for Cadet Command, I met a myriad of professionals, both military and civilian alike. I witnessed the challenges that make leaders, the pride in cadre as a cadet terrified of heights made the plunge down a 40-ft zipline with an accomplished grin stretched ear-to-ear. And if you need any proof for how much I loved it:
"I can’t say I much enjoy the tinkling bells of my alarm at 3am, or the rope burn the shoelaces of the combat boots leave on my fingers as I lace up every morning, but I do enjoy listening to a DS [Drill Sergeant] hardass explain the meaning of leadership, influence, fatherhood, and fondly recount a story of how they delicately shove a cadet or private’s face into a situation to teach them a hard-earned lesson, with a tone of godly authority, and the tug of an affectionate smile at the corner of their mouths... I’m looking forward to early pre-dawn mornings with them, seeing them grow physically and mentally tough, into soldiers of the US Army, independent, focused, passionate citizens of adulthood. And on graduation day, when their families embrace this new stranger, blown away by the pride and strength in their loved one - that’s my favorite part." (Day 8-9: Let them Eat Cake!, June 15, 2011)
"Lead from the front," was a consistently humming mantra throughout the course, and the barely-legal cadets were not the only ones impacted by the challenges tailor-made to slap you silly with "real-world" responsibilities.
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| Colleague and close friend Noelle Wiehe recently accepted a position at a small town newspaper in Texas. |
As it just so happens, a large, carefully addressed white envelope was delivered to me on Friday, heavy with the proof of that very conclusion. Three articles and two columns, in print, by the one-and-only Noelle Wiehe, Fort Knox colleague and close friend, littered my lap and Matt's coffee table Sunday afternoon, as I slowly read the statements of success by the natural light seeping in from the late afternoon Georgia sunset.
A big city girl from Cincinatti, Ohio, Noelle was ever-so-slightly timid when I met the energetic 5-foot-nothing blonde my first night at Fort Knox eighteen months ago. In the next nine plus weeks, we shared a variety of "crazy little adventures," including a handful of typical early twenty girl problems, and topped off with a couple Army-specialized obstacles tossed in to the mix. She and I both grew into brand new people at Fort Knox, and both returned to our respective homes to face friends who were still sheltered by the safety of college. Working for the Army changed us, and by both of our marks - for the better. Chasing our dreams with confidence, or, perhaps, with personal courage, and the concept of leadership that I have found could be the single-most unsung Army value that brings a company to happy success.
Our boss, Steve, held weekly "budget meetings" to keep his PAO team on track, but aside from the most basic nudging, and fairly in-depth editing sessions with writers, Steve gave us free reign to find our own sense of purpose and drive in the competitive field of journalism. For myself and Noelle, it was the variety of leadership that pushed us toward a strong and pushing work ethic. We respected him, both as a journalist and the head-honcho of our little under-air-conditioned office of the Cadet Command building. His confidence and laissez-faire approach inspired us to reach for the highest expectation possible. It also made us into the best journalists possible.
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| Screenshot of a poll I stumbled across while job hunting on Monster.com this morning. |
Now, specialists in the workplace industry blog about senior executives finding their own leadership style, encouraging the idea that the best workers arise from the best leaders. And it's true. In the Army world, a soldier who trusts and respects his commander will go to battle for him without question or doubt. Now that's a pretty awesome power. It's also a very heavy responsibility.
One that not all head executives, presidents, CEOs, principals, or simply "bosses" are cut out for. But when they are, watch out. Speaking from personal experience, having been led by "bosses" that both inspire and perspire, I can say that I'd work myself to the bone for a leader that would go to bat for me. Loyalty, perhaps, is the cornerstone of successful leadership.
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| Matt donned his Class Ring to attend the Army-Navy party last Saturday. He rarely wears the bling that signifies being one of the thousand cadets that graduate from West Point each year, saying that his reputation as a leader should depend more on his capacity to command than it does on his Alma-Mater. |
But leadership, I believe, is the cornerstone of a successful business, or a successful career. As long as they "lead from the front," that is.
Sources:
Forbes' 100 Best Quotes on Leadership
Forbes - Great Workplaces Arise from Great Leaders
This is My Shot: Let Them Eat Cake!
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