I was sitting in my office trying to cool off from mowing two lawns in ninety plus degree heat and my friend and fellow John Maxwell Team member Mike Lightner was sitting on his porch eating lunch in about sixty five degree temperatures in beautiful Alaska.
Mike served our country for thirty years in the Air Force. He joined as early as possible and rose through the ranks to become one of the top one percent of those enlisted in the Air Force by becoming Chief Master Sergeant. During his time in service he also had the opportunity to work at the Pentagon. Since retiring he formed a business called Dare2Dream Leadership Development where he helps develop leaders. My reason for talking with him on this day was to learn from his military experience three leadership principles he found essential to success.
As we started the conversation I was slightly embarrassed that I had not read the book he wrote on what he was going to share with me, but he was gracious to me since we have been friends for a little while. The following three principles are what he found through his years in the military service to be foundational to effective leadership.
- Boldness – Many times in organizations, teams, or other groups we would rather blend in and not stand out, but Lightner suggests as leaders we must stand out above everybody else and not be afraid to stand up for what we believe. Often this will mean taking risks when others will not. What enables a leader to be bold is the conviction that he or she knows what is going to be done is right. This confidence gives leaders boldness.
- Strength – When he said this I had to get clarity on how this was different from leading bold and Lightner helped me understand being strong is the ability to take a position and stand by it. Often a leader may need to make a decision quick with less than the ideal amount of information and this strength helps him or her stand by the decision as well as humility. A strong leader will make a decision, monitor the decision, and when necessary admit a mistake in the decision-making process and change. This humility and willingness to change prevents analysis paralysis which in the military can cost lives.
- Lead Well – I was confused on this until Mike explained this is remembering that every decision you make impacts people. For example, if an organization cuts the training of the people within the organization to reduce cost and then later cuts people the ultimate cost is a smaller, less trained workforce that ultimately leads to poorer quality and results. At the core of this principle is the question: how is this going to affect the people?
Mike understands leadership and the need to make effective, courageous decisions in a decisive manner and so do you, but maybe you need to grow in one of these areas. How bold are you being? Do you stand by your decisions? Do you consider the impact of your decisions on people? Maybe you need help thinking into your leadership results like both Mike and I help people do. Pick one of the three of these and lead like a soldier this week at work and at home. And for those of you who have served and continue to serve our country . . . THANK YOU!
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