Inspiration from personal experience. Leadership The Green Jacket Way.
Leadership The Green Jacket Way
This past week I have been aligning a corporate strategy to the anticipated trends of work for the future. The increasing pace of technology, digitalisation, automation and alike is dramatically changing the nature of work. The pace of digital evolution and socioeconomic factors are insistent that people acquire new skills and yet those very people quite rightly demand new ways of working. A challenge for many leaders.
As I travelled home, I was problem solving and anticipating the future leadership challenges that I and others will face. In search of inspiration I searched the memory bank (no not google!) to learn from my own experiences and I cast my mind back. I asked myself;
What was my inspiration to support me through a challenging journey?
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late in the evening and the neurons were still firing, the answer quickly found its way to the forefront of my mind. My inspiration, Edwin ‘Dwin’ Bramall.
Some of you may recognise the name, Field Marshal Lord Bramall died late last year after a long and distinguished military career. As well as taking part in the Normandy landings as a junior officer, awarded the military cross in WW2 and commanding a battalion on operations in Borneo in 1966, he was later appointed Chief of the General Staff playing a key role in the Falklands War before being promoted to Field Marshal as Chief of Defence Staff in 1982.
It was in the 1960’s during his time in Borneo that he wrote ‘Leadership The Green Jacket Way’. A short insight into his expectations and thoughts on leadership. Aimed at junior officers his aim was to evoke and sustain the concept of high morale, discipline and effective leadership within often challenging situations. High morale was not to be confused with happiness nor to encourage leaders to avoid making important but sometimes unpopular decisions. Instead, it’s aim was to inspire leaders and their teams to think, feel, believe and behave so that they can achieve the challenges they face. Within the obvious military context, Bramall advocates a combination of courage, confidence, discipline and self-respect – being brave.
Bramall epitomised the Green Jacket way. A brilliant leader who was respected by all who knew him or served with him. As an infantry fighting battalion the Royal Green Jackets (RGJ), were more concerned with the battlefield than the drill square. Traditional Army discipline was admired and displayed in an unconventional way. The regiment, its leaders and soldiers focused the emphasis on self-discipline, with the ‘thinking rifleman’ being the mindset rather than the formality and shouting one may experience in other regiments.
Promoting good leadership was achieved by setting examples, explaining first and having confidence and respect for those under their command. This approach was the ethos of their culture whilst expecting maximum effort and hard work in return. It was a model of shared experience and success which proved to be immensely mutually rewarding.
Whilst Bramall’s conflict rich experiences informed his thinking, his concept can still be as relevant today as it was 60+ years ago. His three principles, simplified in his notes, read;
‘’Lead by example in a dynamic and personal manner…
Leadership resonates via the spoken word on the honest appraisal of the future yet always being aware of past failures and achievements…
Leadership resonates, but to a lesser extent than the latter, by the written word’’
Whilst not all problems will be solved by courage, and not all issues are like for like, I have often found that if you look hard enough and ask the right questions there will often be similarities be it; environment, pressures, scenarios, culture, behaviour, leadership, mindset, impact factors, financial constraints et al.
Over the last 12 months our team has been through our own challenges and a transformation journey. A new leadership team and new ways of working has meant we have all had to be brave at some point. We have had to set a new direction and learn to adapt quickly to different challenges. This has been our ultimate differentiator between success vs failure.
Whilst forever learning, my own leadership style has been stretched. Yet by applying the principles of high morale and being brave I have found that it has allowed me and our team to achieve our success’s in sometimes near impossible circumstances. I have relied on the concept of high morale as a personal leadership method. Being brave, has proven to be our silver lining. Trusting and empowering each other to be personally engaged in our challenges has allowed trust to flourish. We are the owners of our outcomes and as such our collective and individual confidence has grown with each success.
It has been 20+ years since I was fortunate to join the 1st Battalion the Royal Green Jackets. I was lucky to start my professional working life within a challenging yet rewarding job underpinned by the leadership characteristics of the Green Jacket Way. It has also been 18 years since I and the men of 3 Platoon, A company, 1RGJ won the Bramall Trophy. A 24hr competitive endurance event held every year in tribute to Field Marshal Bramall. Each platoon challenging each other in trials of leadership, thinking, communication and teamwork often under extreme physical pressures and grim conditions! A real test of character, teamwork and resolve. It was the Green Jacket experience that gave me my early confidence to tackle my challenges and long may it continue.
If you have not done so already, use your experiences to find your inspiration.
Be Brave.
Celer et Audax
References
Bramall, E. (2017). The Bramall Papers: Reflections in War and Peace. Pen & Sword Military