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Leadership Lesson from the Military: Put Away Your Iron Fist and Empower Your Troops

We speak often about different leadership models and how leadership needs to be adaptive in order to be successful.

In 2006, I had the pleasure to help organize a symposium at the Kellogg School of Management titled “Leadership and Execution: Lessons from the Military; It’s Not Command and Control.”

Three major threads highlighted this discussion:

• “Command and Control” should be replaced by “Commitment and Cohesion” in order to engage the hearts, minds, and loyalties of workers.
• Leadership in challenging situations is transformative. This requires strong communication skills.
• It’s about the people – how you treat them, how you empower them to do their jobs, and how you groom them at all levels to take on more responsibilities.

I was reminded of these sessions when I read through November’s Harvard Business Review, which included a Spotlight Article Series called “Leadership Lessons From The Military.”

Admiral Thad Allen, who led the response to the recent Gulf oil spill as well as the response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, was interviewed in “You Have to Lead from Everywhere.” In the interview, Admiral Allen speaks to the need to both get the view from the ground as well as from the headquarters. In dynamic situations, he states that typically there are not unified chains of command. It is therefore necessary to create a unity of effort.

He cites Peter Senge from MIT and his work on learning organizations as a key influence on his leadership style. “You have to understand at a very large, macro level what the problem is that you’re dealing with and what needs to be done to achieve the effects you want — and you have to be able to communicate that.”

Allen also goes on to say that the amount of real-time, publicly available information has mandated a change in the way people lead. “John Holdren, who’s the science and technology advisor to the President, says that there are three ways to deal with climate change: Adapt, manage, or suffer. I believe that what’s happening with information is no less profound and challenging and therefore the same options apply.”

In “Which of These People Is Your Future CEO?,” Boris Groysberg, Andrew Hill, and Toby Johnson provide a more nuanced look at conventional wisdom. They agree that military experience translates well into running nonmilitary organizations, noting that the military is not the monolithic entity most perceive. Rather, “the Navy and Air Force engender a process orientation; the Army and Marines emphasize flexibility.”

“Navy and Air Force executives thrive on familiarity with processes.” This holds whether the processes relate to how a business is run or to how innovation occurs in a business.

The Army and Marines, on the other hand, depend much less on procedure. While it is necessary for all to understand “commander’s intent” or the statement of mission, subordinates are typically empowered to make needed frontline decisions. (Can you say the same about your organization? That is, that your people [a] know the big picture and [b] are empowered to make limited decisions based on this knowledge?)

Notwithstanding the different military organizations’ focus, the authors come back to a fundamental rule: “Different circumstances demand different leadership skills. Hire the person who fits the job.”

In “Four Lessons in Adaptive Leadership,” Michael Useem writes that military leaders are trained with tools and techniques to face a fast-changing and unpredictable enemy. “Business leaders,” he counsels, “need just such a culture to survive and succeed.”

The four keys to success outlined are:

• Meet the troops. Creation of a personal link is a critical element of leadership.
• Make decisions. The decisions need to be good and timely.
• Focus on mission. Establish a common purpose and don’t let others falter as you prosper.
• Convey strategic intent. Make the objectives clear, but avoid micromanaging.

Even if you are not in a position to hire a veteran to help you run your business, some important questions emerge from these articles:

• Have you clearly defined the mission for your organization, and are you sure that the people at all levels understand it and their part in making it happen?
• Do you spend enough time meeting your people, customers, and clients so that they know who you are? Do you take the time to listen to their frontline insights and issues?
• Do you know when you have answered the critical questions and are ready to make a decision? (Caution: Not all questions are critical, but all critical questions must be answered before proceeding.)
• Do you make timely decisions?
• Do you understand when process is necessary and when it’s fine/necessary to go “off book”?
• Have you empowered people throughout the organization to make appropriate decisions necessary to accomplish your stated mission?

Operating with “military precision” may be appropriate on the parade ground, but not on the battlefield or, according to many experts, within a corporation. And, as importantly, get to know your troops and let them get to know you. People follow leaders, not a command over the phone or a dictatorial email. Go forth and conquer.

This publication is part of Blackman Kallick’s marketing of professional services, and is not written tax advice directed at the specific facts and circumstances of any person and/or entity. Contents of this publication are of a general nature, and you should not act on this information without obtaining professional advice from your business advisor that is appropriately tailored to your individual needs and circumstances. This written advice is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed under the Internal Revenue Code.