Occasionally, I dust the shelves of my memory and think about things from the past. This week, I was thinking about leadership. At 74—and closing in on another year—I don’t do much leading. Gone are the days of military glory and political noteworthiness. Neither was a prominent feature of my service. But over time, I did learn a bit about leadership. The emphasis is on the idea of “learning.”
Good leaders are not born that way. They learn how to lead, at least that is what I was always taught. My personal experience, both in leading people and organizations myself and in observing others, makes me conclude that leadership skills are developed in people. I was fortunate to have learned from military educational structures and then continue to do so as a soldier. Learning how to lead in the Army was a transcendent experience, where those who led me taught me. I learned not only what they said about leadership, but how they did it. In time, I would assemble in my mind some key points of leadership. Here are some to consider.
When in Charge, Be in Charge
There are a few things worse than a leader who doesn’t, well, lead. One might say they are “LINOs,” leaders in name only. Leaders are normally in charge of people and things. But they must do more than appear to be in charge. They must be so. Leaders who do not assert their authority over those whom they lead will soon find out that leadership hates a vacuum. In time, if the leader flags in his responsibility to be in charge, someone, often the wrong one, will fill the void. I’ve seen this even in the military, and what results is organizational chaos. So, when in charge, be in charge.
The Way vs. the Thing
There’s a fictitious story of a platoon sergeant who had to inform a soldier, “Private Smedlap,” that his mother had died. Forming the platoon for morning rollcall, the sergeant read the orders of the day and at the end, announced, “Private Semdlap, your mother is dead, report to the Orderly Room for your leave orders!” Of course, Smedlap collapsed in shock. Afterwards, the Platoon Leader cautioned his sergeant to be more sensitive in such announcements. Promising to do so, the chastened sergeant had a second opportunity with “Private Tentpeg” the next week. After reading the daily orders, the sergeant then announced, “All soldiers with fathers still alive take one step forward, except you, Tentpeg. See me afterwards!” Tentpeg crumbled to the ground. The point? In leadership, it is important to remember that the way you do a thing is often more important than the thing you do.
The OODA Loop
Many of us in the military learned the OODA Loop in decision-making. When confronted with a problem to solve, we were taught to observe, orient, decide, and act. That involved observing necessary information, orienting on the key factors, synthesizing, analyzing, deciding how to proceed, and then acting. Throughout the process, feedback on the initial observations is expected to help validate processes in the loop. It’s not a perfect approach and has been criticized. But I learned over the years that it often brings a degree of order to decision-making that helps the process move forward. For what it’s worth, we could use more OODA in Congress and other places. But then that might become an orderly process, something that would shock all of us. In the meantime, try it, but don’t do so at home. Your family will think you’re acting weird.
Make the Call
Recently, a person I know who is an important leader made a decision of consequence affecting the people he leads. After the decision was made and the activities proceeded to a conclusion, he mentioned to me in passing, “I hope I made the right call.” Sensing his doubt, I asked rhetorically, “Well, did you make the call?” He responded, “Yes.” To which I responded, “Then you were right.” I had a point in mind. Leaders must rely on the best information that they have to “make a call.” Whether it plays out as right is one thing. But it is “right” to make decisions when you have the right information. Looking back is only necessary to make a better decision in the future, not to doubt whether you were “right” in making it.
Own It
Finally, this. When you make a mistake, own it. Bad painters often blame their paint. Real leaders have the guts to own up to their mistakes. Indeed, it’s not a sign of weakness, but rather it signals strength, the uncommon courage and humility of an exemplary and respected leader.
So, there you are. My leadership memory shelf is now dusted. Please don’t sneeze.
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