Leading from the Front : The Army way!

How to build great cultures and strong teams

Any and every startup out there is always focussing on building strong teams fuelled by great culture (if not then it should be.)

As the great quote by Peter Drucker goes " Culture eats strategy for breakfast," for this article I am going to use the principles of the military forces and stories quoted by my father (who has served the nation for a decade and fought 2 battles.)

I truly believe that :

• Our answers on how to build great culture and teams can be found in what our military forces are taught
• The responsibility of building culture and great teams lies not only on the Founders/Top Management but also the employee, it's on everyone in the organisation to help the company and peers grow!

Lesson 1 : Lead from the front

The Gorkha regiment, one of the many forming the Indian army, is a fine example of how leaders lead from the front.

There are multiple laurels of bravery of this regiment, the short heighten yet fast soldiers are a force to reckon with on the battlefield.

For any officer that joins the Gorkha regiment, the induction ceremony gauges the officers capability wherein each soldier has to gain the trust/ confidence of its troops that yes this officer is capable of leading a robust battalion such as the Gorkha's on the battlefield.

As a part of this induction ceremony, the officer has to perform 2 tasks :

a) Play football against the best team players within the battalion

b) Hill climbing competition, wherein the officer has to race to the top of a hill under a stipulated time-line

The officers who manage to conquer these feat are rewarded with a 'Rum and Meat' party by the troops at the end of the day after having proven to them that the officer is not just a man with uniform but someone who can go there on the battlefield with them and fight the enemy alongside rather than just give orders!

In the corporate/ start-up world, I have seen, many managers/ leaders on call saying " If you are unable to solve this problem, why have we kept you ? I would only go and solve the problem."

Well that is exactly what is required from you sir, to show your troops that path/ solution and help them navigate them through for them to respect and trust you.

Moral of the story : If you are not ready to bleed with them, how are you planning to lead them ?

Lesson 2 : Troops should be well fed

There are enough number of articles out there mentioning the importance of a healthy mind, body and soul but how many of us take that seriously ? How many of us ensure that our team members are keeping fit and aren't racing towards a burn out or a health issue ?

Nearly 6 years back, I was admitted in the hospital due to severe infections. At the time, whilst working at PressPlay our work hours were erratic as the first sale used to start around 6am and the last used to be around midnight post which the stock closing etc would take place.

Read " no proper time to sleep, eat or exercise"

While getting a few tests done I still recall the doctor, my father & I having a conversation, which went like :

Doctor : " You have to ensure that you eat right and not just work work work. If only you are physically fit will you be able to perform better."

Me : " Yes doctor, I am aware but work hours are such that I do not get time to eat proper or exercise."

Doctor : " It's funny you say this knowing that your father was in the army, do you know how and why they win wars ?"

Me (trying to sound smart) : " They run through their tactics thoroughly and are well trained"

Doctor : " Yes, that, and also the fact that they are well fed. Even though, their training starts at 5am followed by sessions on weapons, warfare and hand to hand combat, the army makes sure that the troops are well fed. Proper and timely meals are ensured so that they are physically fit moreover they keep on having activities in the officer's mess for them to let loose a little. These proper habits that are instilled help them survive and face extreme challenges."

Dad : *Smiles*

Moral of the story : Spend time with the peers, try to help them improve their skill sets. It could even be suggesting a bunch of online courses they could take on topics that peak their interest. Next time while breaking for lunch and you see your colleague banging his keyboard ask him to take a break, charge up and get back at it.

No, I am not asking you to mother your colleagues but some TLC never hurt anybody!

Lesson 3 : Integrity

For me this is a no brainer, going to keep this one short & simple.

Integrity does not mean that we end up putting the company ahead of our health and family but what it surely means is to have the best interest of the company at heart and to grow collectively!

If there is any intent to cheat for personal gain greater than the good of the mission of the company be ready to either loose the battle or get shot in the head.

Moral of the story : Companies are ready to trade of High IQ with Strong Integrity!

Until next time,

M

Please feel free to reach out to me ( mohitwalia [at] ninjacart [dot] com ) in case of any help is needed with connects in the startup space, more than happy to do whatever is in my power to help :)