A point of clarity; by ghost email I mean writing an email your boss can use as his or her own. This is a great way of leading up and showing alignment. I've always lived by the philosophy of never bring more work to your boss. He or she has enough to do already and adding to their workload is not helpful. I have this radar which warns me when I am bringing more work - problems versus solutions. It is always on.
Read MoreI always admired those leaders whose belief stood alone in the room and who were right in their belief. I viewed that as bravery, intellect, drive, and vision and I tried hard to emulate it. I did achieve this a few times - allowing the room to speak and share their thoughts and disbelief. I would then counter. Of course, as with any leadership role, I worked hard to gain their trust and confidence in me through my words and deeds. Coupled with this was my conviction to see a mission through.
Read MoreI heard this phrase used numerous times in my journey as an Army leader; "I'll train that out of you," or "We need to train this out of ourselves." It meant using training, coaching, or mentoring to rid ourselves or our teams of a bad habit or practice. Training was central in a profession designed for war. We raised leaders to be trainers, to prepare their men and women for the ultimate - combat.
Read MoreI've coached and taught numerous leaders in my post-military career who struggle to give directions on a project or lofty goals for an upcoming quarter. I always return to the 5-Paragraph field order or what we referred to as the Operations Order (OPORD). Nothing gets done in the military without an OPORD. It is the place commanders and staff focus on describing and directing missions. It works and I've returned to it as a framework often to guide my own efforts or that of my team. Here it is.
Read MoreWhy indeed. Most leaders in today's fast-paced, overloaded workplace juggle a myriad of tasks, manage a wide portfolio and tackle frequent and complex problems. If you are anything like me, thoughts race through your head constantly. You wonder if your people know exactly what needs to be done and are working on the right things. We need constant confirmation as leaders and we get it by asking questions.
Read MoreOk, this blog may come off as insensitive but I have to get this off my chest. Let's have a little fun shall we? We have all received an out of office reply. Some of them are just right, some feel like they require us to send a sympathy card, and some just leave us wondering. I'm no authority on what right looks like in an out of office reply - I've left a few dumb ones in my life. Now that I've totally disqualified myself, let's get started!
Read MoreI submit there are no expert leaders. It is a statement ripe for debate as an expert, according to the dictionary, is a person with extensive knowledge or ability in a given subject. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, therefore, leadership knowledge, or ability must be judged by the recipient or beneficiary. If they are not inspired or influenced by a leader than he or she is not worthy of the title "expert."
Read MoreI was wrestling with a title like, "Be the captain of the ship but not its driver," but my U.S. Navy brothers and sisters would disown me for that. You steer or pilot a ship, or you're its helmsman. In the Army we have the position titled TC meaning Truck/Tank/Track Commander. This person is responsible for all that the vehicle does yet does not drive it. It is because the role of the TC or leader requires them to see the greater team and integrate all elements within it toward a common objective. While they may occupy only one vehicle, they are likely responsible for many.
Read MoreSlack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Interpersonal, Text, Facetime, Mail, Facsimile, Social Media... the list goes on. Which of these communication channels do you communicate on and what are you communicating on them? The answer to that is important in leadership. Remember, subordinates will latch onto the words and deeds of a leader regardless of the method of delivery. Wouldn't it be nice to know your messages were delivered and received as you would like them to be?
Read MoreWe lead people, we manage things. I love this old adage as I feel there can be confusion among leaders in the workplace. Managing, in my view, is less personal and more process. It involves the establishment of procedure and policy, organizing and synchronizing tasks and operations, and governing time. Leading on the other hand is the personal interaction, influence, and nurturing required of leaders to get the most out of the people associated with these tasks and operations.
Read MoreWords matter, especially in leadership. For better or worse, people will latch on to what comes out of the mouth of their leaders. "But you said..." Because of this, leaders ought to be cautious and selective with their words. I do not mean overly cautious or fake. Leaders should absolutely be themselves but should operate with a heightened sense of what they do and say. My years of leading have strengthened me in this area. I'm clear on the tone I want to set and the culture I want to create no matter what the team and because of this I don't use these words or phrases.
Read MoreAs a young Army officer I heard this phrase - "make time" from several superiors. Truthfully, it bothered me. I was extremely busy and they were asking me to carve out time I did not have or was not afforded. "Easy for them to say," I thought. They had staffs and assistants to share their work with. I and my team were very lean. Because of this disdain, I've always hesitated to use the phrase on others. Indeed there were some who considered everything to be a priority, who rattled this phrase off without care and context. As I matured though, I began to look at 'making' time in a different light. It was not about having time. None of us do.
Read MoreIn the Army, every 12 months, or when a direct report would change, officers would receive an Officer Evaluation Report or OER. To support the writing of this OER, the Army created the OER Support form. This form was supposed to be a living document between rater and rated where accomplishments could be listed to inform the final creation of the OER. I hated the Support Form. Creating it felt like an act of selfishness. I felt like I was taking credit for the achievements of my people - work I had not done myself.
Read MoreDo you have one of those people on your team, the 'problem machine' who has the personal capability to solve problems yet always seems to drop them on your lap? I've always coached leaders never to bring problems to their boss - bring solutions. When we present a problem to the boss, "we really need to revamp our PTO policy," or "I can't get the sales team motivated to achieve greater results in Q2," we are essentially giving them more work. What is a leader to do with these statements? I've seen some take ownership of these problems and become overwhelmed and ineffective. This starts the 'delegation' discussion. I've blogged about it and will do more as it remains a challenge. Here are some thoughts and philosophies on this matter.
Read MoreAlong with my leadership offerings, I've taken on a new business as its owner and president. It is a wonderful opportunity to build and lead a team of men and women, include their families, and manage a business in an ever-changing environment - a leadership laboratory if you will, where I can practice all of those things I preach through book writing, speaking and coaching.
Read MoreHere I sit, in the Southern Appalachians, without power, wearing a headlamp and typing by the light of my computer. I’ve got 50% battery power and poor (barely a bar) cell phone coverage. Thankfully, we have a gas log fireplace and a gas stove. I’ve lived in much worse yet I’m already missing the comfort of modern amenities, especially the internet! Living in northeastern Tennessee, I believe I am or was at the epicenter of winter storm Izzy.
Read MoreI'm having fun with these catchy subjects which rhyme with 2022. A friend shared this video by University of Alabama Football head coach Nick Saban. Perhaps it is timely and fitting this week as he and his team lost the College Football National Championship to the University of Georgia 33 to 18. Saban, considered by many to be the greatest coach in college football history, was speaking to his players just prior to football camp, the team's preparation for its regular season, about toughness - mental toughness to be exact. The core question he posits is, "what does it take to break you?" It is a short but poignant video which relates directly to leadership.
Read MoreIt's week 2 of 2022 and I'll stick to my theme of kicking off the New Year with a bang. It is still early enough to think about the year ahead and commit to challenges and changes for the betterment of your people and your team. In fact, I submit, it is never too late to commit to challenges and changes, in other words, start over after you've already started. I often encounter leaders who want to push the reset button. Reflecting on mistakes or poor guidance, or desiring to alter their leadership, they wish they could start fresh as they might with a new team, yet they feel it could be awkward or a sign of weakness. I disagree. If done correctly it could be a great way to refresh and motivate a team and to try better leadership practices.
Read MoreThis is a tough week, isn’t it? I recall how hard it was to return to the Army on the week following New Years and the Christmas holiday. The Army was this relentless, demanding machine (sound like your company?) and, especially in the early days of my career, I had bosses who made me feel guilty for taking time off. I’ve applied the opposite of that leading people, helping them ease back into the madness following time off. This first week of 2022 is especially difficult with the remembrance of January 6th, COVIDS’ next offspring and its impact, and the persistent polarization lead perfectly (I'm being flippant) by our political leaders. Let’s get to it.
Read MoreHappy New Year! It’s nice to be back writing again. I hope your holidays were great. I’ve got hundreds of blogs in the cue for 2022 and beyond. I’m going to change things up a bit this year. I’ll be blogging on Mondays and Fridays - bookends for your week, leaving Wednesday’s open for book writing. Along with my leadership content, I’m going to weave in some veteran transition discussions following my 2nd book, “At Ease. A Soldier’s Story and Perspectives on the Journey to an Encore Life and Career.” Published on the cusp of the COVID Pandemic in 2020, I’ve found so many non-veterans have read and enjoyed it. I am talking about transition after all, something we will all encounter. I’ll also be sharing stories of a new business venture I’m leading beginning this month – both successes and failures. Help me widen my audience. Here is the link you can share with a friend (or forward this blog). https://www.robcampbellleadership.com/blogs. Simply fill out the ‘Stay in Touch’ block and off we go (or you can do it for them with their permission)!
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