Focusing on people leads to many dividends

A Lesson in Leadership

The discipline which makes the soldiers of a free country reliable in battle is not to be gained by harsh or tyrannical treatment. On the contrary, such treatment is far more likely to destroy than to make an army. It is possible to impart instruction and to give commands in such a manner and such a tone of voice to inspire in the soldier no feeling but an intense desire to obey, while the opposite manner and tone of voice cannot fail to excite strong resentment and a desire to disobey. The one mode or the other of dealing with subordinates springs from a corresponding spirit in the breast of the commander. He who feels the respect which is due to others cannot fail to inspire in them regard for himself, while he who feels, and hence manifests, disrespect toward others, especially his inferiors, cannot fail to inspire hatred against himself.

Major General John M. Schofield
August 11, 1879

Trust Required to Avoid Doing Something Stupid       

One of the common worries for leaders can be doing something stupid.  Taking a course of action that squanders resources or doesn’t accomplish its intended purpose can mean a loss of face and potentially credibility for the leader.  To help avoid this pitfall someone in the company needs to come forward and point out to the leader that something won’t work.  One such person who helped me avoid doing something stupid was Terry Lynch.

Terry was the Warehouse Coordinator for Missoula County Public Schools.  His responsibilities included orchestrating the daily delivery requirements for 20+ locations.  This service was the ‘life line’ to the schools for all supplies, payroll, distribution, printing, equipment and furniture.  He worked with the drivers and they did a superb job of keeping the schools supplied. 

In 2001, the school district needed to reduce expenses so the idea was put on the table to eliminate one of the two delivery driver positions.  This required a drastic change in service and placed the onus of all deliveries on one driver.  We came up with a delivery schedule that would allow one driver to service all the locations.

Before making the final decision to eliminate the delivery vehicle driver position, we conducted a trial run of the new schedule and planned on running it for five days.  At the end of the second day Terry came to see me.  He explained that the loading dock was being maxed out as items stockpiled waiting for delivery.  As a result, each time the driver came to take a load it required a lot of heavy lifting.  The consistent heavy lifting requirements were taking a toll on the driver as he had little time to physically recover between each delivery.  

Terry expressed concern that while the driver would continue to try to make this new schedule work, eventually the physical requirement would catch up with him and he would have an accident.   

Terry was right.  I should’ve anticipated this problem and if the change had gone into effect we would have had an accident.  Terry helped avoid doing something stupid.  Shortly thereafter, the remainder of the trial was cancelled and the elimination of a delivery driver position was removed from the budget discussions.

For this type of feedback to come forward several conditions have to be in place.  Mutual trust has to be present, otherwise the feedback won’t come and skepticism about the feedback can creep in.  The leader has to be willing to listen to the comments and be prepared to act on them even though the comments sting.  There must be a common expectation that when the situation calls for feedback, the person is going to come forward and the leader is going to receive the comments gracefully and with appreciation.

This is easier said than done.  It takes commitment and openness to develop trust. The leader must be genuinely receptive to negative feedback.   By taking these actions, the leader can get help to avoid doing something stupid.

I worked with Terry an additional nine years and deeply appreciated the feedback he provided and the trust he placed in me.

Leadership requires a winning attitude

When the Leadership Path Gets Steep                 

I was breathing hard after 20 minutes on the mountain trail.  It was my first hike of the season and the long winter lay-off was catching up with me.  As I continued to struggle up the path I found myself looking only at my feet, taking one step after another.

Forced to stop in order to catch my breath, I looked around and took in the beauty of the forest with the sunny filtering between the trees and the wild flowers in bloom.  This observation diverted my focus away from my physical struggles and helped to renew me.

After my break I headed up the trail but this time I focused on my surroundings instead of my feet.  For some reason the path was easier even though it was still steep. 

At times, leaders are caught up in the moment when facing a big challenge.  When this occurs they may dwell exclusively on the problem.  While this may help to resolve the problem, it can also burden the leader unnecessarily as the big picture fades into the background and a true perspective of the significance of the problem is lost.

When a problem arises it is important to stop and take a look at the big picture.  Notice the positive things that are occurring - such as a great team, positive culture or individual commitment.  By stepping back from the problem the leader is able to gauge the true impact of the problem.  As a result, the problem can be handled in a manner that reflects its real significance.

You Have to be Allowed to Fail in Order to Grow

I watched the 75 ROTC cadets form up in preparation to march down the dirt road as part of a field training exercise in 1994.  Their cadet leader, Ted Lee, thought he knew where he was going but he hadn’t reconed the route beforehand to make sure.  I was responsible for developing Lee and the other college seniors who were about to be commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the U.S. Army.  Off everyone went following Lee down the wrong road. 

After walking about ½ a mile I saw Lee looking around for the training site and getting noticeably anxious when he couldn’t locate it.  He stopped the group, sought me out and asked if I knew where we were.  I reminded him that as a future officer it was his responsibility to know his location.  Lee gave me the 1,000 yard stare and was clearly confused about what he should do next.

After a couple of minutes I began to coach Lee by asking him what aids he had to help him find his location.  He pulled out his map.  When I asked him about his compass, Lee responded he hadn’t brought it along.   The group looking to him to figure out what to do was getting him more rattled by the moment. 

As adults we learn by trial and error and this means being unsuccessful at times.  In order to develop employees they need to be given the opportunity to grow using this method of trial and error and to be allowed to fail. This process is not without costs.  It is hard to stand by and watch someone go down the wrong road and be willing to pay the consequences.  However, giving someone the opportunity to be unsuccessful will reimburse itself many times over as employees enhance their skills and return even greater value to the company.

Lee figured out where he was and moved the group to the training site.  After that incident he could be seen rehearsing the next route with map and compass in hand.  I doubt as an Army Officer Lee ever went to the field without making sure he knew where he was going.

"People expect their leaders to speak out on matters of values and conscience.  
 But to speak out, leaders have to know what to speak about.  
 To stand up for their beliefs, the have to know what they stand for. 
 To walk the talk, leaders have to have a talk to walk. 
 To do what they say, they have to know what they want to say.  
 To earn and sustain personal credibility, leaders must first be able to clearly 
 articulate deeply held beliefs."
 Kouzes & Posner, A Coach's Guide to Developing Exemplary Leaders