Leading in the Fog of War

Can you imagine anything more disconcerting than driving at 100 mph in a thick fog – with the radio blaring, cell phone ringing, and the kids in the back seat asking, “Are we there yet?” Yet, isn’t that what it is like operating in business today? The fog is thick, the pace is rapid, and the distractions are constant. Where can business leaders find solutions to be able to navigate through this chaos and produce results in this very uncomfortable environment?

Perhaps our military leaders can offer some ideas. If there is anything that today’s military leaders are comfortable with it is in being…uncomfortable. In places like Afghanistan (and Iraq before it), spans of control are so broad, geographic distances are so immense, and challenges so diverse that leaders cannot possibly be everywhere or know everything that is happening. The fog of war is an almost constant companion to our military heroes. VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity – is the new normal.

Much of what we thought about organizational management is grounded in the “Command & Control” world, a paradigm that just doesn’t fit in today’s VUCA scenario. Places like Afghanistan are causing us to think differently about some aspects of leadership. Decision cycles are too compressed to fit within the top-down Military Decision Making Process (MDMP). Things that were accepted norms like, “No more than 5-7 direct reports” are not necessarily true. Even leadership teachings about things like planning, risk, or scope of responsibility are being re-thought in light of what we are learning downrange.

Places like Afghanistan and Iraq have been humbling to those leaders who were fixated on the “good old days” and could not function in this uncomfortable environment. Those who have succeeded have been those who recognize the things that are changing and, more importantly, those that remain constant. It is the latter that creates the beacon for those who may be lost in the fog, the solid foundation for those for whom chaos is a constant companion.

So, with battlefields as confusing as they are, with leadership as we thought we knew it in evolution, how do leaders provide clarity of purpose and thought and drive appropriate actions? What follows are some of the enduring responsibilities for leaders, in any setting, to help make sense of the chaos and to enable the success of those they lead. These are the bedrock elements that give today’s leaders comfort, despite how uncomfortable the situation may be. They give a leader presence, even though not physically present, and drive the behaviors, decisions, and actions of the team – aligned in task and purpose.

-- Values. What is important to us and why? Leaders must ensure that the organization’s values are clear and reinforced at every opportunity. More than just a poster in the hallway, the values must truly motivate behavior and help define black versus white in a world full of gray.

-- Vision. Where are we going? What is our shared view of the end state, purpose, and key tasks that will keep us on track? Vision inspires people to want to do more, especially when times are tough, because they believe in the purpose and have bought into the organizational direction.

-- Strategy. How do all of our actions align to get us out of this chaos and into calmer waters? Strategy adds specificity to the vision and connects short-, intermediate-, and long-term goals and objectives. Strategy looks not just at how to execute the mission but also how to improve the organization (people, systems, processes, etc.) for sustainable success.

-- Intent. Intent conveys to teammates guidance and direction, without actually being there. It communicates the desires of the leader, such that people can answer – for themselves – what would my boss want me to do if he/she was here? The leader’s intent is the pathway through which people exercise initiative and take action, without being told, because they know what is required and why. The how is up to them.

-- Information. What are the big picture and the context in which we execute? Nothing enables execution and the exercise of judgment, consistent with the leader’s intent, like being informed. Leaders over-communicate to ensure that the vision sounds like a “drumbeat” in people’s heads, keeping them in step and marching toward victory. No more stovepipe communication that filters out all but what subordinate leaders think people need to know. Experienced leaders ensure that everyone has the full story and can take advantage of opportunities, learn from the challenges of others, and make decisions that align with the big picture.

-- Alignment. How do we ensure consistency with regard to our actions, priorities, and resources? Leaders spend much of their time – in meetings or just walking around (we call it battlefield circulation) -- checking and adjusting the alignment of the organization, ensuring the connection of individual actions with the overall team goals. The role of the leader as “Chief Alignment Officer” is among the most significant of the leader’s many responsibilities.

Be sure, the chaos that defines our overseas operations can be just as prevalent and equally challenging to business leaders. Change is constant, decisions are made much closer to the problem, organizations are flatter, and people are empowered to measure and manage risks and take bold action like never before. Twenty-first century business leaders, like their counterparts in the military, either learn to similarly operate in this VUCA environment by putting their time and energy into the elements above, or risk becoming bureaucratic, over budget, locked in the past, and teetering on irrelevancy! They do this by learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable, turning on the “beacon” for their “troops” as they navigate through the “fog.”

I originally wrote and published this article on the Thayer Leader Development website. 
“Leading in Chaos” is one of many hot seminar topics I do through the Thayer Leader Development Group. Contact TLDG to see how we can use these principles to help steer your company through the “fog of war.”  That's Leader Business!

Leading in Chaos

Here in Afghanistan, not unlike many of the environments in which you operate, everything seems to be difficult. We have too much work and too few people to do it. We lack the resources to be as efficient as we would like. Our contractors struggle to meet schedules and operate within budget. We answer to too many bosses, all of whom have different priorities. Turnover among our employees is incredibly high (3% per week). Movement to project sites is complicated by lack of roads, complex terrain, a ruthless enemy who creates security challenges at every turn, and the logistics of moving around an area of responsibility about half the size of the state of Texas.

Life is hard. There are any number of reasons we use for why we fall behind on our schedules or exceed our budgets. Lots of reasons...but none of them matter. We have to find a way. As leaders, we are challenged to sort through the chaos, bring order to complex situations, identify and resource priorities, and get the mission accomplished. NO MATTER WHAT!!

Do you find yourself in these sorts of situations? This is where we as leaders have to sort through the chaos, we have to bring clarity to the situation. We have to be the ones to maintain calm, to help people sort through the friction of the moment and still accomplish the mission.

I like to remind people (and myself) every day...IN TIMES LIKE THIS...THIS IS WHY THEY NEED US! If everything ran perfectly smoothly, why would they need leaders? If decisions didn't need to be made, if difficult choices among competing demands did not need to be discerned...why would they need us? They could just figure it all out themselves, right?

Well, usually...they can't! And they do need us. Leaders bring order to chaos. Leaders sort through the fog of war and point the team in the right direction. Leaders realize that stuff happens. Always has...and always will. How we are defined, where we add value to the team, is in what we do when the stuff happens. Do we fail in our tasks because of these problems, or do we succeed in spite of them? This is the true measure of our leadership, when we are tested the most, and when we either stand and deliver...or succumb to our enemies.

Whether here in Afghanistan or wherever you serve as a leader, keep reminding yourself...this is why they need us. Problems are not something to complain about, they are opportunities to teach, to grow, to solve problems, to increase communication, and to add value. I love this stuff!!! This is what leaders do. That makes it...Leader Business!

Note: Can I take the chance to thank those of you who have either ordered the Leader Business book or who have forwarded the link to your friends, colleagues, or anyone else who might benefit from a focused examination of the battle-tested principles of leadership. We sold about 150 books in the first two weeks. I'm thankful to have sold one. The rest..is gravy! Here is the link should you want to learn more. Thanks to all! Hooah!

Un-confuse the Chaos

Have you seen this slide? No doubt some well intentioned military staff officer, likely one operating at an oxygen-deficit, came up with this slide to attempt to describe operations in Afghanistan. It's a beauty, isn't it? Does it look like your own vision slide? How about your project delivery process, customer relation model, or org chart? My head hurts!

Listen, warfare is chaotic enough. I'm not sure whose idea it was to try to reduce it down to a single PowerPoint slide. No doubt someone thought this would turn on light bulbs and provide an understanding of how victory would be achieved for the forces in Afghanistan. Really?

I loved the comment from the military brass when they saw this slide. The sentiment was that when they understood this slide, they would have no difficulty winning the war. You got it, General. No war was ever won with sexy visual aids. And no vision has ever been achieved without leaders who can clearly articulate what they are doing and why. This ain't it! Send that trooper back to the drawing board...literally. And let's find a way to keep it simple.

When it comes to vision, the leader's job is to create order out of chaos, to "un-confuse" the situation, to help people see clearly how victory will be won. Yet, sometimes I think people no more understand what we are putting forward as our grand strategies than the great warriors in Afghanistan got where this slide was taking them. Whether it is in combat, health care, or the execution of whatever project we are working on, we need to devise simpler strategies and communicate them in more straightforward ways.

We can do better. I DO like the idea of putting our strategies on paper. My team will tell you that I love to pick up the markers and head to the whiteboard. But when we do, it must make things more clear, not less. Let's agree to these points when it comes to creating and communicating through visual aids:

-- Sketch out your vision, ideas, or master plans on paper or a dry erase board. If you can't do it...don't think it will make more sense when you try to digitize your ideas.

-- Make sure visuals are clean, simple, and easily understood. Check with those whose job it is to implement your plans. If they don't get it...your visuals probably don't add value.

-- Everything doesn't lend itself to PowerPoint! Why not try writing out a few paragraphs or putting together a white paper for more complicated issues? What did we ever do before Bill Gates?

-- If things look this complicated on paper, they probably are even worse on the ground. Most of us mice will not be able to navigate this sort of maze to find the cheese!

Look...many of our strategies and processes are confusing enough. Let's not add to the chaos with crazy slides, multiple arrows, and infinitesimal details. Slides like this produce a different kind of "vision" -- blurred! Find a way to help people see straight and "un-confuse" the situation. That's Leader Business.

Update: Friends...I know I have been delinquent in updating this forum. As many of you know, I am working hard to finish up on Leader Business, the book. I'm almost there. If you have the time, energy, or the intellectual curiosity...drop me a note and I will send you a brief excerpt so you can see where I am going. It is a rough draft, but you will get the idea. I'd love your feedback!