Leader Business Update

Many of you have written me to give feedback on the Leader Business book and to ask how sales are going. On the former, I thank you for your thoughts and am humbled each time I hear about one person who is applying even a single thing from the book to their own leadership journey. Oh…and I know about the typo on page 12. Haha!

As to the latter, sales are going pretty good…considering. Considering that I am my own marketing team. Considering that my marketing team is in Afghanistan. And considering that my marketing strategy currently consists only of asking my friends to dish out $20 or so for a copy. Considering all of this…sales are going pretty good!

***Shameless plug. Could I ask you to help join my marketing team and perhaps broaden the outreach for the book? Is there anyone you know who might benefit from a discussion of leadership based on how we do it in the military, and who really needs a copy of the book? Is there a group to whom I might speak (so far I’ve done two video presentations and one SKYPE discussion from my “hooch” here in Kabul), sharing some of the lessons in the book and how what we are doing over here continues to validate the philosophies that I wrote about in Leader Business? Would you consider an investment in your own team, perhaps with a bulk order for the holidays? (I have even autographed a dozen or so for one group to give out as gifts to guest speakers! I am happy to help and humbled to contribute in any way I can!). Perhaps you have a leader development program that might benefit from reviewing this book together and answering the discussion questions at the end of each chapter. End of the shameless plug. Haha!***

As for me, in my last two blog posts, I have written about Decision Points (Deciding to decide) and our STOP DOING lists (things we must terminate, defer, or decline in order to maintain focus on our priorities). Both of these have come together in my professional life as I have DECIDED to transition out of the Army! Yes, at the completion of this duty assignment here in Afghanistan, and after 26 years in the Army, I suppose I am ready to move on to something else. I think it's time to do something different…and look forward to the challenge.

But for now, I have 8 months remaining on my tour of duty…and a whole bunch of MISSION in front of me. I work with a great group of people here in Afghanistan and have a job I can only dream about (When will I next get to be the CEO of a $5B construction company?). The challenges are enormous but I am reminded every day – THAT’S WHY THEY NEED ME! If you are on facebook, check out our page and some of the videos about our experiences over here in Afghanistan: Afghanistan Engineer District - North.

I am learning daily the importance of leadership and reminded that the timeless principles that I wrote about in Leader Business really do work. But, I also know I have to do more than write about them, or give motivational speeches to help people believe in them. I have to live them every day. Leadership is not what we say (or write). It is what we DO. Sometimes I do a really good job at it. Sometimes…I goof things up. But I’m giving it my best, learning from each experience, and getting better every day.

That’s what I wrote about in the book. That’s what successful leaders everywhere do. And that’s what I call…Leader Business! Hooah!

Transition Rule #1

As many of you know, I have been transitioning from one position to another. I gave up the leadership reins of a great team in Los Angeles on July 1st and took over a new command in Afghanistan on July 8th.

Transitions are always hard. No matter the position, it is difficult to leave friends and the comfort of knowing what to do and moving into the world of the unknown. I'm in that world now. Even after doing this probably a dozen times in 25 years, it is still not easy.

But once the pomp and circumstance is complete (okay, not every transition comes with a marching band!), it's time to settle in and start leading. There is clearly much I do not know. But what I do know, call it transition rule #1, is -- that it is my ship. (Thus the Captain analogy in the graphic above, if you wondered how this connected!). Any failures from this day forward are on my watch. No blaming my predecessor here. I own it.

If it's working...I'm keeping it. If it's not...I'm starting the ball rolling now to fix it. I have no doubt that the decisions and policies of my predecessor were based on the facts as known, and most of them were exactly the right way to go. Things may be different now. My status as the new guy may be what we all need to reexamine assumptions and look at alternatives. If things need to be changed, we'll change them and move on. Who has time to cast blame and look backward? From my experience, the Captain's time is better spent looking ahead, determining the ship's heading, final destination, and whether we have enough fuel to get there.

Yep...it's my ship! That's rule #1 in transition. And that's Leader Business!

(Another) Leader Business Update

Dear Friends,

Happy Belated 4th of July and Happy 234th Birthday to the US of A. Periodically, it is probably good if I can take a few moments to update you on some current and ongoing issues. This post is one of those occasions. There is so much to talk about so…where to begin???

As most of you know, I am in the middle of a major transition. Boy…does change ever suck! I gave up the reins of leadership of the Los Angeles District of the Army Corps of Engineers on July 1st. (The picture at the top of this post is from the formal Change of Command ceremony. What a sendoff this fireboat in the Port of Los Angeles gave us!) What a great team we had there. I was fortunate to be a part of a great organization, with great people, wonderful partners, and a fantastic, $1B+ mission. Never again will I likely have it as good as I did there – CEO for a company with that size and scope…and in a great place to do what I suppose qualifies as work. For the last 3 years, it felt like anything but that! :)

I am now off to Afghanistan, where I will lead another Army Corps of Engineers District. The Corps has divided responsibilities there into two districts, essentially split in half between North and South, and I will have the Northern District. Headquartered in Kabul and with offices throughout my Area of Responsibility, I will have the great opportunity to command a $2B+ organization for the next year. It is a daunting mission but I have confidence in the great team over there that we can get it done. I take command over there on July 8th. No rest for the weary!

I know many of you are interested in what I will be doing. The Army Corps is primarily doing the large construction projects – both for our own military requirements (command headquarters, airfields, etc.) and for the Afghan Security Forces (Army barracks, Police Stations, training facilities, etc.). We also have a growing portfolio of civil infrastructure projects (electricity, roads, and water resources) that we are doing in support of other government agencies. My team, consisting of military and civilians, is responsible for contracting with capable construction firms, most of them local, and overseeing their work. We also do designs, real estate acquisitions, and project / program management. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? The scope of the mission (again, $2B+ this fiscal year and next) is truly humbling. But it is a big part of how we will be successful in our overall mission and we need to be successful.

And so, I leave one great team and join another. For those of you who have changed jobs lately, you know the emotions, stress, and anxiety that goes with this sort of transition. It’s now time to take my own advice. As the leader, my new team will be counting on me – from day one! I need to listen to my new teammates, identify priorities, and keep the train moving despite the turmoil at the top. I need to look for gaps and fill them. I need to assess our strengths and weaknesses, meet our customers and my superiors, and acknowledge their ideas, issues, and requirements. I need to meet my employees and let them articulate their piece of the mission. I need to understand the culture – within my team and in Afghanistan – and learn how I can shape the former while being respectful of the latter.

It won’t take long. Working in a 24/7 environment will make an expert out of anyone pretty quickly. And, having been through a number of transitions, I know I am up for the task. The team is solid. It’s up to me to join them, to minimize turmoil so they can do their jobs, and to get up to speed as quickly as possible. I know I am prepared and I am confident that I can do the job.

So…now you will understand my next 365 days through this basic framework. I will keep you posted throughout. It is my hope that I can document my journey and, more important, look for leadership threads that I can share with all of you. Given that many of you are likely in transition yourselves, I suspect the lessons of the next few weeks will be worth discussing. Remember, the point of a blog is to generate dialogue so, if I hit on something that stimulates your own thoughts and ideas, please share them with me…and the Leader Business community!

Just a few final things worth sharing with all of you:

-- The book (Leader Business) is finished and off to the printers. It should be available in a few weeks. It will be available through the web and I will alert you to the site. You can see the cover in the top right of this website. If it was true that you could judge a book by its cover, then this project will be a home run! I love the way the cover turned out and believe it does a great job of capturing the premise of the book – the passing of leadership lessons from the military to other settings and the opportunity for each community to learn from the other. For those of you who enjoy the ideas and issues we explore on these pages, you should appreciate the deeper journey we take in the book. I think it will be a good opportunity to dialogue with your co-workers about what leaders DO. It will serve as a great introduction to the fundamentals of leadership and the broad range of responsibilities for new and emerging leaders, mid-level managers, and anyone with the desire to improve as a leader. I sure hope you like it (or know someone who might need it!).

-- The Leader Business blog was recently recognized as one of the Top 40 leadership blogs by the On-line MBA web site. Yea!! Visit the full list here. While I will keep working to be #1, I am happy to be #18 and know that all of the blogs on the list are full of wisdom and insight!

-- My last posting, on the firing of General McChrystal and the need for all of us to examine whether we have similar challenges in complaining aloud about our superiors, was selected to be a part of this month’s Leadership Carnival. Thanks as always to Dan McCarthy for the great collection of leadership and management issues that he collects at this site! Little wonder he is #1. For now!! Ha!

Finally friends, would you stay connected with me during this journey? I can honestly say that I know I need you more than you need whatever wisdom I might share through this blog. I know it will be an interesting next 12 months. I will do what I can to share some of it with you. In return, can I ask for your thoughts and prayers? An occasional note, or a post on the blog that lets me know you are out there, or share your thoughts on a particular issue, might just benefit both of us! Ask your friends to join us and let’s make this an on-line community that explores issues of leadership…and life!

Thanks to each of you for your time and your friendship. I don’t take either of them for granted. That’s Leader Business.

I’m also on Facebook (great for posting pictures!), LinkedIn, and Twitter (LeaderBusiness) if you want to be my “friend” there! I hope you will! Thank you! :)

Hail to the (New) Chief!

Yesterday I was able to attend the pinning ceremony (sorry for the poor photo quality) for one of my employees as he achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer in the Navy Reserve. Daniel is one heck of a journalist in my public affairs department and is an emerging leader in the ranks of the navy as well. (Truly he wears two hats -- for me in the ARMY Corps of Engineers and here in the NAVY reserves!)

What struck me as unique was the importance of this milestone. The Navy seemed to really mark the transition from led to leader in an important, meaningful way -- more so than we do in the Army. These ceremonies, in which selectees for this promotion pin on the new rank and receive the coveted hat of the "Chief," are worth noting and worth considering the implications for the rest of us.

A "Chief" in the Navy signifies leadership within the enlisted ranks. Sailors progress until they demonstrate in their performance, leadership potential, and technical expertise their readiness for the higher grade. This ceremony then signifies in a meaningful way that readiness and formally marks the transition into positions of greater responsibility and higher expectations.

Really the ceremony was just the public recognition. I learned that Daniel had been preparing for several months for the new rank. He had spent hours studying leadership, memorizing key texts, examining Navy history, understanding more about the role of the Chief and the responsibilities that come with wearing the "anchors" on his collar, mentoring under senior enlisted leaders, and in many other ways preparing for the transition. There was undoubtedly an investment in this new leader that would prepare him for these higher levels of responsibility. Daniel took it seriously and so did the Navy.

I was impressed with the importance of the event and wondered if I do enough to mark these sorts of transition in my own organization. I left thinking that I should do more to signify the importance of the selection of a new leader, that newly "minted" supervisors should do more than just get the bigger desk and maybe a little more in their paycheck. Becoming a leader should be as important and memorable of an event on my team as the Navy made it for Daniel.

I left thinking that I would not let another person become a leader in my organization without the sort of investment that I saw reflected at this ceremony. I need to make sure that my teammates have the necessary skills and tools, that they have a support group in place to help them understand their new roles and responsibilities, and that they are recognized in this important transition.

The Navy gets it. So do I. And that is...Leader Business.

Tribute to a Leader

My mentor retired from the Army this week. After 35 years of selfless service, the greatest leader whom I have ever known transitioned to civilian life. In front of nearly 400 friends, family, and fans, this great warrior-general demonstrated to his last farewell what it meant to put people first, to inspire others, to think big yet act small, and to live a life of passionate balance. Here are a few lessons I learned from my friend Randy:

-- Let everyone know that their contribution to the team matters. Even though I was two ranks below his, he always listened to my ideas, always came to my area to think through problems, and never let me forget that I was his guy. I wasn’t the only one…but he made me feel that way. At his retirement ceremony, he called two of his team members to the stage. He let everyone know that they were important contributors to the organizational mission (reduction of Weapons of Mass Destruction or WMDs). Their role? They cleaned the floors. They were janitors. Randy knew them by name and made them feel like they were valued. Same as me. Same as everyone who served with him.

-- Make a (Positive) Difference. I don’t know another leader who could inspire people to want to do more than their duty description. He caused people to want to do more than make a difference. He inspired them to be passionate about making a positive difference. (He reminded everyone that it is possible to make a negative difference!) He could see two and three moves ahead of everyone, describe it in vivid detail, and help people envision those next steps that would help the team get there. He never raised his voice -- didn’t need to. People wanted to be a part of something meaningful and refused to let themselves or this great leader down. An organization of people like this under a compassionate leader like Randy cannot be stopped and will always make a POSITIVE difference.

-- Think big yet act small. My friend was the embodiment of selfless servant. (Selfless not as in thinking less of yourself but selfless as in thinking of yourself less) Despite a brilliant career and ultimately wearing two stars -- the man had no ego. He knew that success came from putting people first, from empowering people to take action, from caring for soldiers, civilians, and their families. His was a simple approach to leadership: Get people to believe in the vision; show them that their leader truly cared; be generous with praise and positive reinforcement; provide people with the skills and tools they needed to be successful; build teams and cultivate a sense of teamwork; then get out of the way and let the “team of teams” take care of the rest. Nothing fancy. Just fundamental leadership from a selfless servant. The results were always nothing short of amazing.

-- Live a life of passionate balance. Unlike many leaders who preach “balance,” then grind people up, never leave work, and live a totally unbalanced life, Randy was the real deal. He loved his family, left work at a reasonable time, always had an open house with beer and “hot wings,” and slept well at night. Why? Because he did all the things above, pouring his heart and soul into enabling the success of others. He knew they would not let him, or the team, down. More importantly, he slept well because he had his priorities straight. He knew that true balance required physical, social, and spiritual fitness. He loved his family and put them first in everything he did. At his retirement he introduced dozens of family members and longtime military friends – all of whom he introduced not as generals or colonels…but as friends for life. He demonstrated at every assignment that it was possible to have professional success while having fun and keeping first things first. He was a passionate leader. But he was most passionate about having balance in his life.

I am sad to see my friend and mentor leave the Army. Some civilian company has no idea how fortunate they will be to add him to their leadership team. I am confident that his approach to leadership will be no different on the “other side of the fence.” His results will be equally impressive.

I just know that he’s the best leader with whom I have served. I try every day to live up to his high standard. I try to convey the passion for life and leadership that he shared with me. And while I’m not there yet, I do know that I am a better leader today because of him. I have no doubt that there are hundreds more like me. I suppose at the end of a brilliant career that may be the best legacy one can have.

Enjoy retirement, sir. You’ve earned it. That’s Leader Business.

Managing Transitions

At church on Sunday, I was observing the flow between songs. The choir and musicians moved from one musical piece to another, from fast song to slow. The toughest part of their routine was clearly those transitions. That was when the director had to work the hardest. During the songs it was clear that the choir knew what they were doing. They focused on the music. During the transitions however, they focused on their leader. Their leader (the choir director) worked hard to ensure that the flow was uninterrupted, that the transitions were as seamless as possible.

Transitions are those gaps between songs, between phases of an operation, between shifts, or between acts in a play, where chaos often reins. They are those periods before the operation is back to full stride in which a team or unit can be caught short. Transitions are the hard part. That makes it -- Leader Business.

I have seen this before -- in a much different context. Military operations have transitions that similarly demand the leader's presence. The transition from offense (attack) to defense is very demanding. Units must switch gears, organize for a different mission, resupply accordingly, and not let down their guard. Similar challenges are seen in transitions from peacemaking to peacekeeping or from day operations to night. These are very demanding and require constant leader attention.

Strategic leaders understand that good units will do what they have been trained, but that the difficulty of transitions demands detailed plans and rehearsals and continuous leader attention on these momentum swings. I have seen many combat leaders who only rehearsed the transitions between phases before initiating a mission. They had full confidence in their subordinate teams and leaders to execute the tasks and missions within each phase, yet recognized that success would be determined in the gaps between them. These transitions are usually the most difficult, the highest risk, and where battles are won and lost.

And so it occurred to me that if the choir director was to rehearse anything, it would likely be the movement from one song to another. The singing would be fine -- the choir members and musicians would see to that. The hard part, the part worthy of practice and deliberate oversight, was in the seams between songs, the transitions.

OK. So what about the rest of us? Are transitions still an issue? I welcome your thoughts and input. Here are a few of mine:

-- When new teammates come onto the staff, leadership is required to ensure that the transition is smooth. They must receive training, orientation to company policies, and be brought up to speed on ongoing projects and initiatives.

--If one employee is replacing another, the leader should oversee the transition, ensuring projects and customers are handed off, and the seam is as transparent as possible to outsiders.

-- When employees first become supervisors, there is a similar need for leader involvement. They need training on leadership, communication, and other management skills. They need a mentor or coach to help them transition from the rank and file.

-- When shifts change out, the leader should be present to ensure the passing of information and the incorporation of new learning.

-- Between phases of an operation (new product line, new semester at school, new fiscal or calendar year, new season in sports), leaders must ensure After Action Reviews (AARs) are completed and key lessons are captured, new teams are organized, tasks and equipment are distributed, and the new phase is begun without missing a beat.

Much as with the positioning of key leaders at seams within or between units, leader presence ensures that transitions do not become the source of unit failure. Seek them out in your unit. Ensure data is exchanged, customers are assured, new team members are integrated. Provide the training or conduct the rehearsals. Identify these transition points and make them a priority.

Leaders are like choir directors. Good ones, who understand the importance of transitions, make good music. Transitions are Leader Business.

Fond Farewells

Teammates leave our organizations all the time. Career goals and family situations change. Passions and goals are pursued. Retirement age eventually causes everyone to change course. People move on.

What do you do when people leave? Do you turn your back on a quitter – or do you take the opportunity to thank them for their service? Do you burn the bridge behind the departees – or build a bridge that can one day bring them back? How you deal with this issue will speak volumes about your organization – and about your leadership.

Here are a few things I have been thinking about lately when we have lost people:

-- Conduct exit interviews. There is nothing like a person’s departure to learn what causes people to leave, where the organization might do better, and how you can improve as a leader.

-- Don’t miss the opportunity to ask this question: What will it take to help you stay? If there is anything that can tip the scales, it is often much cheaper than the cost of recruiting and training a replacement. Sometimes people just want to be asked, to know that they are valued.

-- Reward past accomplishments. Despite your disappointment, don’t miss the opportunity to recognize the contributions to the organization of people who leave. Options range from the Gold Watch to lunch on the boss. Treat people like you would want to be treated. Celebrate all they have done for you and for the team, and be excited about their future opportunities.

-- Manage the transition. Change is difficult. The leader’s job is to ensure that gaps are covered, that duties and responsibilities are passed along to someone else, and that the team keeps moving forward.

-- Don’t burn bridges. People change their minds. Keep those doors open and let them know they will be welcomed back. Depending on how you handle their departure, these employees can be your best recruiters – or your worst! You may also find these folks serving as consultants, suppliers, or some other extension of your team. Don’t discount the value of maintaining a positive relationship to your future bottom line.

How we manage the departure of our employees speaks loudly about our leadership. The word about how they are treated will spread throughout the organization and will either contribute to people staying – or encourage them to leave. Don’t turn your back on those who leave. And don’t take their departure personally. Usually it is not you…it is them! People move on. You (probably) did! Manage this critical period of transition. This is Leader Business.