Veterans Day thoughts
Veterans Day was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor Armistice Day (the end of World War I), which took place on November 11, 1918.?? It later became a day to honor all American veterans who have served in the Armed Forces.? President Woodrow Wilson used the following words in the commemoration of the original Armistice Day:? "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."
To commemorate Veterans Day, this week by reflecting on quotes from some of our country’s past military leaders.? Although we often think of the military officers having a command-and-control style of leadership, the role of motivation and shared purpose is evident as they state many of the same principles we have discussed throughout our leadership journey.??
As noted by an AES employee that served under General Mattis, the "dream world" he alludes to is a reference to a complacent attitude.?? Leaders anticipate and deal with the awareness and realities of a changing situation.
2. “No good decision was ever made in a swivel chair.”?—General George S. Patton, Jr.
A leader cannot understand the situation or their people unless they spend time with them.? A leader that only sits in their office and does not show up to truly listen to their people will hear a watered-down version of the truth.
3.?"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity."?—General George S. Patton, Jr.
Engaging people in “what” needs to be accomplished motivates them to achieve results beyond the leader’s directives.? Telling people “how” to do their job is constraining and impedes alternative solutions.
4.?"A good plan executed today is better than a perfect plan executed at some indefinite point in the future."?—General George S. Patton, Jr.
A plan without action will not yield results.? Once you have 80 percent of the information, stop procrastinating, make a decision and move on.? Our quest for thoroughness often causes the information to go stale and important actions to be delayed.
5. “Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, 'We've always done it this way.' I try to fight that. That's why I have a clock on my wall that runs counter-clockwise.” – Admiral Grace Hopper
We are all creatures of habit, but improvement only comes through doing things differently.? Whether it is personal development or process improvement, create high expectations and strive to achieve them.
6. “A leader should encourage the members of his staff to speak up if they think the commander is wrong.?? He should invite constructive criticism.? It is a grave error for the leader to surround himself with a ‘yes’ staff.”? –– General Omar Bradley
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It is essential that people voice their own opinions and speak up.? Without the freedom to do so, the leader better be right 100% of the time because no one will challenge what he or she says.
7. “Rank is given you to enable you to better serve those above and below you. ?It is not given for you to practice your idiosyncrasies.”? ––General Bruce Clarke
Leadership is not about the leader; it is about achieving the goals of the organization and addressing the needs of the people they lead.? Leaders are not judged on what they do, rather they are judged on the results and performance of the entire team.
8. “My observation is that whenever one person is found adequate to the discharge of a duty ... it is worse executed by two persons, and scarcely done at all if three or more are employed therein." —President George Washington
It is important to identify?the?person accountable to execute the task and obtain the results.? Generally, when more than one person is given accountability, then no one takes ownership.? It leads to confusion caused by mixed signals, finger-pointing or lack of prioritization.
9. “Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.” —General Colin Powell
A leader without followers is not a leader.? Take the time to bring people along with you and address their individual needs along with the needs of the team.
10. “If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right”. – Admiral William H. McRaven
When I coached high school football, we spent the vast majority of our practice time on the fundamentals rather than scrimmaging.? Having superior technique put us in the best position to be successful.? Business is no different, getting the basics right and having a strong foundation is crucial for long-term success.
We set aside a day to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.?? Thank you to all the veterans, to those with family members currently in the military, and to those who served in the past or lost loved ones that helped protect and preserve our freedom and liberty.
“Champions don’t become champions in the field – they are merely recognized there.” –?Bob Costas
Leadership matters!
Ken