Thanks to an inspiring public school teacher I’ve had a lifelong passion for reading, and before she passed away years ago I had the opportunity to hug her and express to her my heartfelt thanks. History in general has always intrigued me, and in particular for the last decade or so military history has salted my reading list. Great lessons can be learned from studying the human behavior of people put through the refining fire of the crucible of combat whether they be in positions of leadership or within the rank and file of those who followed orders rather than gave them. Some of the most surprising and inspiring examples are those who weren’t in positions of leadership but rose to the occasion when the most trying circumstances tested them. Why then did some answer the call while others shied away? What characteristics or qualities did they have that enabled them to face challenges and lead others? Even a brief read of the Congressional Medal of Honor citations reveals an amazing roll call of common people performing uncommon feats of bravery, sacrifice, and stewardship.
Translating the characteristics of heroic military leadership to everyday, on the job leadership can be a valuable exercise since common threads run through both. First and foremost is a desire to serve others, to make sure one’s personal interests don’t come at the expense of others. The most successful and respected leaders are those who the team knows and trusts are acting in everyone’s interests. The truth of that fact to this day remains foundational and viable even though it may have become a cliche. Whether you are in a position of leadership or aspire to be, those with whom you work have a powerful sixth sense able to determine if you are truly working with them rather than for your own personal benefit. Nothing can match the output and results of an inspired team following someone whom they know to be working for the common good and sharing a mutual interest.
Closely related to the quality of working for common interests is the quality of genuineness. For one to be genuine means one must be transparent and real, not guarded, pretending or playing a role. Again, those with whom we work can usually read us like a blinking neon sign, and while they may show up and do what’s required of them, they will gladly go above and beyond what’s expected of them when they work with a leader who is real and authentic. History records the inspiring stories of teams who have accomplished the impossible because, for one thing, those whom they followed were judged to be genuine and without duplicity. And from the quality of personal authenticity develops the dynamic of trust. When those on a team believe in and trust a leader, they won’t just follow that leader they will become leaders themselves if and when the situation calls for it. Again, the historical record confirms in times of the greatest adversity and when a leader has fallen, heroes have emerged from the ranks, stepped up to the task at hand, seized the day and secured the victory. While less dramatic, the same dynamic can transpire in the workplace when team members go above and beyond in support of a leader whom they believe to be straightforward and unambiguous.
The list is long but another essential and fundamental quality of leadership that produces dramatic results is a sense of empathy. I’m not referring to enabling someone’s misguided sense of victim-hood because empathy has nothing to do with enablement. Unfortunately, one of the counterproductive consequences of a culture rife with those who see themselves as hapless victims is that the proverbial baby gets thrown out with the bathwater. Empathy becomes just another word for sympathy which is something altogether different. To be an empathetic leader is to be respectful of another’s point of view and be able to put oneself in their shoes, so to speak. To be empathetic means to seek to understand, not necessarily agree. Just because I’m listening to understand doesn’t necessarily mean I’m agreeing. A leader who makes a genuine effort to see the world from another’s point of view not only may expand their own horizons and learn something new and valuable, but doing so creates strong bonds of trust that can’t be fragmented when the going gets really tough.
“Taking the point” in combat meant to be the person at the very front of the patrol, the first to risk setting off a booby trap, the first to stumble into an enemy ambush, the one to take the greatest risk for the benefit of the team. It was by far the loneliest and most vulnerable position in which to put oneself. So, why on earth would a 19 year old kid who less than a year ago had been having fun at school accept such an enormous responsibility? Many did so out of sheer obedience to command. But even that obedience to command was rendered because they were led by someone who they believed to be acting for the good of everyone, and that leader wasn’t just playing an authority role but was, instead, genuine and real. And, finally, that young soldier knew his commander not only would take the point if necessary but had taken the point before and had walked in a point man’s boots. When teamed with leaders like that, the point gets taken.
Originally published in Beaumont Business Journal, Heat And Humanity Column
