Sustainable Energy

As many of you know, I just spent 365 days in wonderful Afghanistan. Twelve months is a long, hard, grind. We worked 7 days a week, probably logging around 15 hours per day -- day after day, no weekends to recharge, no sleeping in. And if I can be honest, I think I had it pretty easy! I won’t even begin to try to compare my pace to what so many of our Troopers were dealing with every single day on the front lines!

Nonetheless, it was a demanding routine, one which certainly challenged my skills as a leader. It was physically and mentally exhausting. Yet, people were looking to me for guidance and inspiration. No matter how tired I might have been, I had to be on my game at all times. I couldn’t postpone decisions until I was better rested, I couldn’t delegate key organizational issues to someone else to figure out. And with people’s lives literally in the balance, the pressure to perform only further heightened the stress and added to the drain on leaders like me throughout the combat zone.

Toward the end of my deployment, one of my subordinate leaders asked how I was able to stay as positive and energized as I was throughout our time together. He wanted to know how I did it. I shared several thoughts with him, which I layout below. But be sure, it’s no accident that he recognized this characteristic. This is how I try to operate, no matter where I am and regardless of what arena I’m in. I think it is critical to bring positive, inspiring energy to everything we do. In fact, I think it is one of THE most important leadership characteristics I look for in people that I hire or those I promote. I definitely see it as Leader Business.

Here is what I told my teammate as to how I kept up my energy. First, I believed in what we were doing. (We were managing a $5B+ reconstruction program focused primarily on the Afghan Security Forces) It is certainly easier to sell a product when we believe in its merits. I definitely believe in what we were doing. I enjoyed the work, I loved the people I was working with, and despite the daily grind, I thought it was fun and certainly was energized by what we were doing. In other words, not only did I bring energy to the job…but the job gave energy to me! I know what we were doing mattered and I was pretty sure that my contribution to the team and our mission did as well.

Second, I told him that in my approach, leaders can’t have an off-day. When I wasn’t feeling it, and there were plenty of those days, I’d fake it. My bad day or personal problems were not going to trickle down to those whom I knew fed from my energy. When we are in leadership positions, people are always watching. We have to keep up the high level of energy even if, like I said, we have to fake it. In my experience, there is no room for being negative, cynical, or depressed if we are going to lead. Thoughts like that should be kept to one’s self. They tend to bring down the team and drain organizational energy. Instead, leaders must stay positive and be a source of energy for others.

Third, I found it critical during a one-year deployment to stay balanced. I tried not to get too high on the highs or too low on the lows. I tried to be consistent and not let the emotions of the moment drain me. The adage of deployment being a “marathon versus a sprint” certainly applied. I’ve seen far too many high-energy leaders who react radically to good or bad news, especially the latter. They are the red-faced yellers, the angry bosses who personalize everything and are one negative report away from a “coronary!” We can’t get like that. Instead, I think we have to maintain a steady, positive, balanced attitude that brings people up as opposed to tearing them down. Stuff happens and we are charged with dealing with it. People needed to know they could bring bad news to me without fear of losing their head…or their job! Staying positive and energetic, no matter the situation of the moment, kept everyone focused on our mutual goals and objectives, focused on helping each other, and ready to deal with any situation…with the necessary energy to do so.

Finally, I tried to stay fit. Even with 15-hour days, I tried to start each morning with an investment in my spiritual and physical fitness. I can honestly say that both were a source of my energy each day. It is a fact that those who are physically fit have more energy. Well, it doesn’t come without an investment. No excuses. Even with early morning commitments, it was not a question of IF I was going to exercise but how early I’d have to get up! Similarly, I have found that daily time for reflection keeps me grounded and sustains my energy. For some it is a quiet walk or yoga or prayer. For me, it was a chapter a day in my Bible. Both areas of fitness are worthy of consistent investment in order to sustain a high level of energy.

So what about you? Are you a source of deliberate (on purpose!), inspirational, and sustainable energy that makes people want to follow you? My friends, it matters. To lead effectively, we MUST have this leadership trait. If it does not come naturally (i.e if you are an engineer like me!), learn it. Fake it if you must! Whatever it takes, if we want to be truly effective, we need to be the sort of leaders that people willingly follow. That only comes when we can bring our A-game to every situation – 24/7 and 365 days per year. Trust me…I tested this theory and it worked. I’m positive!! That’s Leader Business!

Got Leadership?

As many of you know, I just got back from Maui after a week of R&R with my wife. It was a nice vacation, to be sure. I needed the time away and that is definitely a great place to do so. I mean, what is not to like: beautiful beaches, perfect weather, snorkeling, parasailing, eating WAY too much, and those drinks with the little umbrellas!

But do you know the first thing we did when we got back? We paid off our credit cards! Makes sense, right? We had saved up the money while I was deployed and then settled up once we got back. Now, contrast that with our “leaders” in Washington. What is the first thing they did after running up the credit card to the max and then doing nothing to pay it off? They created chaos in the markets, struck a deal that only raised the credit limit on the card, and then they all left town and went on…vacation!

Now, I don’t want these pages to become a political battleground. I generally stay out of politics here but then again, we find examples of good and bad leadership in all areas and it drives me crazy to see this example of horrific leadership. There is no sense of urgency, no building of consensus, very few new ideas, and no solutions. We have a real economic hairball, one that we would not allow in our own businesses, let alone our families. Yet this mess will inevitably damage our businesses and our families for generations. Those responsible for it pat each other on the back for making a deal, leave town, and avoid accountability! They stay away from hard choices, going for the “easier wrong” instead of the “harder right!” They blame each other instead of working together. Am I frustrated? You bet I am. Aren’t you? Little wonder that we have the lowest consumer confidence in 30+ years and approval rates among our political leaders that suggest they ALL may be looking for new jobs in November! That may not be such a bad thing!

Meanwhile, we HAVE to find solutions! I’d like to think that the framework for Leader Business might offer a few questions to help us figure our way out of this mess.

Plan – How do we develop a national plan for the way ahead? Note: Forming a committee ain’t it! Where in the world have you ever seen the solution to an emergency is to form a committee??? How about locking people in a room until they figure this out? How about cancelling vacations? How do we have an honest framing of the problem so that the citizenry can see the urgency and be ready to participate in the sacrifices that we’ll all have to make? What are our national Goals and Objectives? What is a reasonable timeline to get back to balance? Where are the bold solutions, what are the risks, and how do we mitigate them?

Prepare – How do we build the teams necessary to tackle these problems? How do we communicate with each other in order to prepare people for the upcoming challenges? What metrics can we agree need to be the focus of this dialogue and how do we hold our leaders accountable to them? What are our priorities and how do we align resources accordingly so that we keep our promises, take care of people, defend our interests, stimulate the economy, make meaningful, strategic investments AND live within our means?

Execute – What MUST we do and what can we put on our National “Stop Doing” list? How do we measure performance, hold people accountable, and WIN in those areas that matter the most (jobs, academics, science, defense)? How do we hold people accountable within our government such that they don’t get to retain their jobs when they don’t perform?

Learn -- How are we taking ownership of problems instead of blaming each other? Who is courageous enough to articulate how we got into this mess while describing the steps that ALL will need to take to improve? How do we avoid these problems in the future? How do we educate the citizenry on where we are, where we are going, and why it is critical to do so?

Friends, I won’t pretend to have all the answers. In fact, you’ll note that above is simply a list of questions. But I have no doubt that we need our leaders to start generating answers to these questions. We have a true financial crisis that is growing across the world. This isn’t time to go on vacation! Nor is it time to blame each other and try to posture to win the next election! It’s time to get to work. Let’s roll up our sleeves, quit fretting about our problems, and start solving them.

I regularly share one of my favorite expressions with my daughters when they are wasting time, wringing their hands over a problem instead of getting going on solving it: “We can’t step up the stairs if we are paralyzed staring at the steps!” It’s time to take the first step. Let’s call it, oh…I don’t know, PLANNING! The rest of the steps will follow. It’s a proven approach. The alternative is…paralysis. Unfortunately, that may be where we are now. It’s my firm belief that we are better than this. But only if our leaders get going and figure out a way to show some basic economic leadership like we expect in our own families and businesses. This isn’t a political statement. This is…Leader Business.

The Sabbatical is...Over!

Friends,

Well, the excuses are over. I can’t account for my negligence in writing any longer by saying, “I’m busy running a multi-billion dollar construction company” or that, “I’m busy fighting the Taliban.” My year in Afghanistan is complete and...I’m back! My little sabbatical is over! I’ve got a head-full of ideas, concepts, and data points that I can’t wait to share. It’s time to write. I am embarrassed to see that my last blog posting was….uhhhh….January 1st. Well, let’s change that right now!

I will use this first posting to update you all on several things before I start writing again. And yes, this shameless update will NOT be the last you hear from me for the NEXT 6 months! I promise!!!

So, about me. I am back from Afghanistan after the most amazing 12 months of my life. I lived the dream, running a multi-billion dollar construction company in combat conditions, where every decision, every single day, truly mattered. As strange as that might sound, it was the thrill of a lifetime and I would not have missed it for anything!

Now that I am back, it is time to work on some projects. First, I want to spend some time getting the word out about my book, Leader Business. This “best-seller” is a good read and (I hope!) worth your time understanding the cross-over appeal between the military which I have served for 26+ years and the rest of the world in which we ALL live! Would you consider picking up a copy HERE if you have not already? In fact, if you will simply email me and tell me you want a signed copy of Leader Business, I’m prepared to do so!

I am also working on speaking to a number of groups about the Business of Leaders. If I can come speak to your group, as I have booked engagements for a dozen (+) groups already, would you drop me a note and let me know of your interest? The working title of my presentation, "3 Cups of Tea, 2 Bags of Cement, and a Truckload of Leadership" highlights the mix of leadership lessons and great lessons from building in Afghanistan that I can't wait to share!

We have a lot of catching up to do. I’d like to talk to you about things like how we developed a strategic plan for a multi-billion dollar company; how we aligned people, processes, systems, and our communications with that strategy; how we executed to meet the ever-evolving demands from our customer and from the environment in which we operated; and how we conducted After Actions Reviews (AARs) to ensure that learning could be factored into subsequent plans to get continuous improvement. That is the “Leader Business Cycle” and something that I found to be the basic framework for how I approached my time during deployment to Afghanistan. It continues to be a good reference for me. I hope you agree.

So, for a preview, here are some of the upcoming topics you can find on these pages:

-- More on the Drumbeat. How to communicate a vision.
-- Metrics and why they matter?
-- Creating a sense of urgency in your organization.
-- Strategic planning in a combat environment.
-- Finding balance in a 24/7 environment.
-- Energy and why it matters to those we lead.
-- Stratcoms (Strategic communications).
-- Continuous learning when the stakes matter most

Well friends, I am looking forward to re-starting our dialogue. Despite my time away, I could not be more excited about the opportunities we have to re-connect. As I turn on my TV and see what is happening in our world, I am certainly aware of the lack of leadership in so many sectors of our world, especially right here in the United States. Is there something I can offer to help? Who knows. Let’s just open a discussion. You tell me when you’ve heard enough. I’m happy to be back! This is Leader Business! Hooah!

PS. Just so you know I am serious about writing again, I am finishing up this blog as I sit on the porch early morning...in Maui. The picture at the top is from last night's sunset from the beautiful Hula Grill. Nice!! Yes, a little post-deployment R&R! I'm not sure I'll ever leave this place but...I DO have a good internet connection! :)