Give me something useful
"Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can get it" Bruce Lee
In the early spring of 2008 I was an Army Lieutenant Colonel preparing for command of a battalion (400 soldiers) of paratroopers. I attended the Army's Pre-Command course to prepare myself for what would be a hallmark assignment. I would lead this unit in Afghanistan the following year. At the Pre-Command course we were visited by several Army senior leaders who offered their thoughts and wisdom on battalion command. I was hungry to take the reins of my battalion and with each senior leader visit I was armed with a pen and notebook to gather pearls of wisdom. I wanted something useful - something I could put into practice to make myself and my unit better.
I did indeed gather some great advice but there were also senior leaders who left me hungry for more. One such leader was this barrel-chested Army General. I had heard of him but never met him before. He stormed around the room uttering this and that yet my notebook remained empty. As he closed, I found myself still hopeful for some leadership gold from this person with deep experience commanding soldiers. "Here it comes," I thought. He halted his pacing and his eyes widened and he paused as if to choose his words carefully or gather steam to deliver the knock out blow to a ravenous audience. "We have the best soldiers in the world! And they need leadership!"
"What?," I thought. "Did he really travel all this way to tell us that?" I wanted to raise my hand and say, "Thank you sir but I knew that before you came here today. Could I get something useful from you?" Of course I didn't but I've always thought of that when speaking about leadership or coaching those I lead. I've strived to deliver something which will stick - something a subordinate or a team can put into practice.
I've used short impactful phrases such as, "ask them, don't tell them," "do only those things that only you can do," or "your people will know what your priorities are by looking at your calendar." I've backed these with stories. Stories - real or fictitious, are wonderful ways to highlight lessons. People and teams can imagine themselves in the story, retain its lessons, and think about ways they can change the story for a better realistic outcome.
Wisdom such as, "You need to care for your people," "It's about establishing culture," or "Focus on the basics," fall flat in my opinion. Tell people how to do those things. Perhaps that barrel-chested general did teach me something. Give them something useful.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell