Developing a personal leadership philosophy that wins. 

Leadership can be a daunting subject to write about.  There are no shortage of experts, lecturers, books, conferences, seminars, and tools out there to help one “become a better leader.”   Type “leadership training” into your search engine and you’re quickly offered more than 3 billion results.  Typing “leadership lessons from the military” narrows the field to a mere 56 million hits.   

“Leadership” has become an industry in itself.  TrainingIndustry.com reports that leadership training has become a $366 billion global industry. Yet despite all this effort and expense, effective leadership remains the holy grail of success that we continue to search for.

I’ve had the privilege to work in both military and corporate environments.  I found the principles of leadership I learned, practiced and honed in the Army are equally effective in the corporate world. People are people – in and out of uniform – and what motivates and inspires us is largely the same.     

In the military, the most important and sacred responsibility entrusted to any commander is the privilege of leading others in the execution of a vital mission.  In fact, for a professional soldier, command is a privilege and the highest honor bestowed upon a leader.  

Each time I’ve been selected for command, one of the first things I’ve done is to clarify my expectations of my subordinate leaders.  Although the exact words evolved over the years, I wrote a letter to each of them that began as follows:

You must never forget that others depend upon you, they look to you for guidance and to set the example, and when you ask them to go in harm’s way they and their families expect you to lead them back home safely.

Over the course of some thirty years of military service I have developed a leadership philosophy and set of principles which I define simply as People First: Mission Always.  The philosophy, the principles and even the words themselves came to me from many coaches and mentors, numerous readings, and plenty of hard knocks. 

This philosophy recognizes that the most valuable and important resource a leader has to accomplish the mission are the people.  Well-trained, highly-motivated and performance-oriented people given clear guidance and direction can accomplish any mission and will exceed your expectations every time. People first.

General George Patton once said, “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.”

But the reason any organization exists – military or civil – is to accomplish a mission.  If an organization fails to accomplish its mission, then nothing else matters: nothing.  The leader’s principle focus must always be on successful execution of the mission. Mission always.

Obviously people and mission are inextricably linked; you cannot succeed in one without the other.  People First: Mission Always gives one a sense of balance between the two equal priorities that are inseparable yet mutually supportive.  A leader must excel at both in order for the organization to excel.  

To be an effective leader one must create a culture that inspires people to keep going, to keep their eyes on the objective, to face and overcome adversity, to find inside themselves the will to win – all the time, every time – and most importantly, the resilience to bounce back when you or your team fails.

Imagine the success you can achieve if each and every member of your team came to work each morning with such drive and went home each night eager to return and reengage the next day.

Here are my People First – Mission Always principles…

Communicate:  Good communication is the hallmark of a great leader.  Whether it comes easy or not, it is the leader’s responsibility to ensure each and every member of the team knows what is expected of them at all times.  Your mission may take you into the unknown, and you and your teams may be asked at times to operate in ambiguous and chaotic conditions. The most effective leaders create and communicate well-developed plans and provide clear guidance and direction.     

Build trust & teamwork:  Trust is earned not given; through deeds not words.  It extends laterally and vertically, both ways.  Trust is an essential element of leadership and successful mission execution.  You must trust your team members and they must trust you, and they must trust one another.  Trust is the glue that bonds individuals into a team and once lost is never regained.  Don’t focus just on high-performing individuals; victory belongs to high-performing teams. 

Provide clarity:  “Commander’s intent” might be the most important leadership technique ever developed.  Long practiced in the Army, it is now taught at premier business schools and universities.  Commander’s intent enables action and initiative.  When your subordinates know how you define success, it allows them to think on their feet, to achieve mission success in light of changing situations, and to focus on achieving an end-state which everyone understands.  

Take prudent risks:  Both military and corporate missions can be fraught with risk. Leaders must accept prudent risk when necessary; make every effort to assess, mitigate and minimize risks; and ensure that risk decisions are made at the appropriate levels.  

Lead in difficult situations:  This is where leaders earn their stripes.  As a leader you must be a role model for others.  You are viewed as the example and must maintain standards and provide examples of effective behaviors.  When leaders model the organization’s values, they provide tangible evidence of desired behaviors and reinforce verbal guidance by demonstrating commitment and action.  Leaders must be timely and decisive in their decisions especially when the going gets tough.  If you don’t lead your team someone else will.

Perform under stress:  Regardless of how difficult or stressful the situation may become, leaders must perform.  Your subordinates and peers will watch your every move to see if you can handle the stress.  Self-confident leaders breed self-confident followers.  It is important that your team is confident that when you take them into danger you will perform well and will lead them back to safety.  They will not follow you if they do not have confidence in you. 

Adapt, innovate, and take the initiative:  A leader must be a self-starter, to act when there is no clear direction, and to adapt when the situation changes or the plan falls apart – because it will!  

Exhibit unimpeachable integrity and character:  Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “the supreme quality of leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible.” Integrity is non-negotiable – effective leaders are truthful in both word and deed.  Leaders must be morally and ethically upright and be positive role-models at all times.  

Drive standards, discipline, and fitness:  Discipline is not merely the obedience of orders; it is adherence to standards, the pursuit of excellence, and development of a collective will in a team that enables mission success.  Leaders must establish high standards for themselves and their teams, and develop a culture of discipline that builds cohesion and self-confidence.  Leaders must also be physically and emotionally fit to lead.  

Grow future leaders:  Leaders don’t occur naturally, at least not in the quantity we need.  Leaders are grown and developed.  A large part of how I evaluate leaders is the way they develop subordinates.  Every member of an organization is a leader in training for the next level of responsibility.  It is the job of leaders to bring the next generation along and develop those that will replace them.  Effective leaders do this through training, coaching and mentoring, and by providing challenging opportunities for others to grow and develop.  

Army General and Secretary of State Colin Powell said, “the day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”  

My final advice is to lead with your heart.  When you genuinely care for the welfare of those you lead, for their success, and for accomplishment of the mission, you will be an effective leader.