The Army taught me a tremendous amount about leadership. Over the course of three decades in what felt like a constant leadership laboratory, I led, failed, learned, and grew from a tactical leader to a strategic one. I share these hard-earned lessons in my first book, It’s Personal, Not Personnel: Leadership Lessons for the Battlefield and the Boardroom. The book continues to fly off the shelves, providing lasting value to both public and private organizations.
Here are three lessons from the book:
1. Chain of Command
I bring this straight to the boardroom because it’s a time-tested, underused concept in many organizations. I’ve seen countless businesses suffer from a lack of formal structure, no clear chain of command, or reporting lines. That’s where confusion sets in and overload takes root. It’s the individual who pays the price when roles are murky. Ask and answer the question: “Who works for whom?” When someone looks up, they should clearly know who they report to. Keep it clean. Keep it understood by everyone.
2. Priorities
Every organization has more to do than time or resources allow. Workloads today are overwhelming. The key to managing that pressure is prioritization. There are two types of priorities: enduring and periodic. Enduring priorities never change, such as investing in people or delivering great customer service. As an Army leader, investing in people was always non-negotiable. Periodic priorities shift with time; think product development or a specific marketing push. If your team is focused on a campaign but a customer walks in the door (an enduring priority), the campaign pauses. The customer comes first. Then you return to the campaign.
3. Intent-Based Instructions
Clear communication is the cornerstone of good leadership. When it fails, organizations fail. I teach intent-based instruction using this simple format: Purpose → Key Tasks → End State.
Here’s an example:
“Mary, I’d like you to reconstruct the landing page of our website because I want to attract more customers (Purpose). Some key tasks include ease of use (minimize clicks), a contemporary feel (with color and graphics), and SEO optimization (Key Tasks). The End State will be a presentation to the COO and me, showcasing the proposed changes and how they’ll help us reach more customers. We’ll offer feedback, then proceed to launch.”
There’s a lot more in the pages of It’s Personal, Not Personnel. Grab a copy wherever books are sold, or reach out, and I’ll deliver the lessons personally, in your office or on screen.
Make it Personal!
Rob
