A Culture of Creation

This Weeks Summary:

Learned: A team of experts

Planning: Use the experts

Business idea: Supporting businesses

Vet Opp: Vietnam Veterans Memorial

I met: The warrant

Stoic Quote of the Week

The responsibility is all yours; no one can stop you from being honest or straightforward.

-Marcus Aurelius

What I learned this week:

I've been asked several times what made being on a team with other Green Berets so special. It is the quality of the people, and the quality of the people is what creates the culture. The secret sauce of a Green Beret team, Operational Detachment-Alpha (ODA), is the fact that it is full of the highest quality of alpha leaders. In most situations, a group of alpha leaders would struggle to get things done because they would all be pushing for their idea to be the one that is implemented. That is where an ODA differs from other organizations of high performers and alpha leaders. An ODA has a structure, a hierarchy that enables clarity in who is in charge and who isn't. That isn't special in itself. What is unique about that is the type of leaders that are attracted and created in an ODA. The successful leaders are not autocratic; they are democratic by default. The leaders of an ODA are able and expected to be democratic because this leader is in charge of highly trained and specialized individuals who could lead the ODA just as well as the one who is designated to be in charge. So, why does the makeup of an ODA work so well? It is the culture that this group of alpha leaders creates. Successful ODA leaders can handle criticism, feedback, and challenges to decisions. The leader of an ODA expects pushback from the team, which is good pushback because it challenges the leader's logical answer and individualized answers. The culture of the ODA is about listening to the expert. An ODA's success comes from the belief that no one has all the answers and that we will succeed through our collective knowledge and effort. The leader of an ODA has to have the confidence in himself to address pushback and counter ideas. He has to understand that he is not the smartest person in the room. A person in charge of an ODA who believes they are the only one who can provide the solution is devoured by the culture of the ODA and does not succeed. This culture isn't only available to a team of highly specialized Special Operators. This culture is available for every organization or business—even yours. You have to choose to have this kind of culture. As the boss, you have to be the one who is willing to listen and justify your decisions. You have to be able to take the criticism and hear out that old, crusty guy who has been around the block a few times. Not because "this is the way we have always done it." Because there is expertise in the rebuttal or criticism, if you are willing to listen, and if you are the smartest person on your team, you have built the wrong team.

Planning thought of the week:

Always take advantage of your team's expertise. This applies not only to execution but also to planning and delegation of authority. When developing your business plan or strategy, utilize the experts on your team and delegate to them the sections of the plan to write. Remember, the best plans involve the entire team from the start. There is a reason you hired him to do that job. Use that expertise to support the development of your plan.

Business idea I heard about or thought of:

I am fascinated with the periphery businesses that develop based on population growth. The Colorado Front Area continues to have explosive growth. Subdivisions and apartment complexes are being built all over the place. The vacant land of cattle and pronghorns is becoming a thing of the past. (Pardon my nostalgia.) Whenever I read that another business is moving another 100+ people to our area, I start to do the math: mean salary $150K=$750k houses, schools, police, fire department, gas stations, grocery stores, and my favorite, Mom & Pop shops. Everything from a new brewery to a cleaner to a regularly occurring food truck. Now is the time to look ahead, accept the risk, and get into those new areas of supporting strip malls when the manager needs the cash flow to begin paying off his loan and getting a decent rent for your very own sandwich shop/coffeehouse. Location-location-location.

Veteran opportunity of the week:

5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) has commissioned a Vietnam Veterans Memorial to be built at Ft Campbell, KY on Gabriel Field. Special Forces Association Chapter 38 is heading up the fundraising for this project. You can learn more about how to support this cause, here, Gabriel Field Project Donation.

Someone I met this week:

I was reminded this week of a type of person in the Green Berets that makes the organization unique from other Special Operations units: the Warrant Officer. Here is a man who lives in the in-between because he is neither a non-commissioned officer nor a commissioned officer. He is a warrant. The warrant on an ODA is the guy who has been there and done that. The guy that says, "I've seen it done that way, and it didn't work." He puts his hand on the leader's shoulder and says, "I hear what you're saying, but it isn't what you said before." The warrant is a unique asset because of his rank and position in the ODA. This unique position attracts and creates an individual who is a staunch supporter of the ODA and the Regiment and is also willing to tell you what you want to do is stupid or that you are conflicting with what you said had to be done yesterday. His rank allows him to be in this position and be the one who holds us all accountable for what we say. Here's to the Angry Warrant. Thanks for the reminder, Eric. We all need a warrant on our team.

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