As a Lieutenant General in the US Army (Ret), I am proud to say I served my country for more than 35 years; 10 of those as a General Officer leading both enlisted and civilian resources. My experiences taught me many lessons; not only from how to deal with life and death scenarios of sending troops into battle, but how to get the highest level of performance from a team that had mission critical attached to everything they did.
I believe these experiences are also relevant to the corporate training world. Why? Because all leaders deal with similar issues. For example - How do we best lead people into situations where there is a high consequence of failure?
At the end of the day, it all comes down to effective leadership regardless of the activity. For those who are responsible for managing the training of people who lead others in these situations, the question we must ask is “How do we prepare them better”? My blog will deal with questions such as this, as well as lessons of leadership I’ve learned from attending West Point, leading soldiers into combat, and civilians responsible for logistics to support those soldiers; all over my many years of service.
And in some small way, I hope you will be able to learn something from many of the principles that have been successful for me. Some of the principles I’ll address include:
1) The importance of engaged leadership
2) Change Management - Focus on opportunities not obstacles
3) Decision-making - First decide when to decide.
4) It is OK to be demanding, just don’t be demeaning
5) Without a strategic plan, you simply have random activity
6) Effective mentorship is essential
7) It is imperative to maintain a work-life balance
8) You must embrace and celebrate diversity. It is the key to innovation.
9) You must create an environment where it is OK to have fun.
I am looking forward to the opportunity to share my thoughts, and to learn from you as well. And please feel free to provide your comments and feedback.
